Forget Me Not
by midnight-wolf-314
Summary: The final battle is over, Naraku is dead, the jewel is completed, and Kagome has returned to her time forever...right? EDITED THROUGH CH. 9 8/22/08
1. Author's Note

Author's Note

Forget-Me-Not edit

Read or go onward to the story, I don't care.

Story Information:

**Title:** _Forget-Me-Not_  
**Chapters:** _37, prologue, & epilogue_  
**Rated:** _Teen_  
**Genre:** _Romance/Fantasy_  
**Pairings:** _Inu/Kag, San/Mir, Sess/Rin, OC/OC_  
**Word Count:** _122,952_  
**First Published:** _9/11/05_  
**Story Finished:** _7/4/2008_  
**Last Edited:** _8/5/08 (chapters 4-7)_

Welcome to the (partly) edited version of Forget-Me-Not. I say partly because it is not done being edited. Therefore, some of the chapters are gonna be good, and some are gonna be really crappy, so read at your own risk. If you get annoyed easily when things is stories contradict themselves or don't seem to be executed properly, please don't read this now. Wait until I post it on the completed list of fiction.

This story is completed at 37 chapters, as well as a prologue and epilogue. It is the longest fic I have ever written, and therefore, it badly needs editing. It is receiving editing, though at a relatively slow pace due to my busy schedule.

As an edit, there are several main things I have changed within each of my edited chapters.

1. Starting at around chapter 18, I began including songs at the beginning of each chapter I wrote. The titles of these songs became the title of each chapter. Each song is written just below the disclaimer and before the chapter in bold and italicized font. All songs are disclaimed in the disclaimers, and any songs that are in Japanese at the top are translated at the end of the chapter, after the author's note. Before I started this, I named the chapters individually myself. While editing, I've been adding songs to the beginning of each of the chapters I do. As a result, their titles have been changing. If you have read this story before, please be aware that the chapter names will NOT be the same as they were to begin with. Also, I will probably change most of the songs already placed in later chapters as well.

2. My author's notes at the beginning and end of each chapter have been edited very little. Instead, I have placed an EDIT, along with the day I did the editing, to note anything that may have been changed within the chapter. I left most of the author's notes the same (they're scary, beware), but took out the review replies I did in earlier chapters. I stopped doing this in later chapters due to fanfiction adding the Review Reply system to their reviews, and I don't see a need to keep old review replies up. At the end of the story, I will compile together every person who has reviewed and dedicate a section just to everyone who has reviewed as a way of thanks.

3. My old disclaimers have been taken off. Instead, you will now find a simple, standard disclaimer. This will include Inuyasha and co., any songs I use at the beginning and/or throughout the chapter, and any quotes I may have used. I apologize if anyone liked the original disclaimers, but personally I thought they were kinda lame. And also, I needed to make room for the songs in there.

4. The old version of this story was completely jumbled tense-wise. I am fixing that as I go along. The entirety of the story will be in present tense, because the way I wound up ending the story didn't turn out the way I had planned. If you stopped reading this story in the past solely because the tenses were weird, please read it again. I assure you that the problem has been fixed.

5. This story is being translated into German by the wonderful Kartarus. If anyone else reading this speaks German, please go check it out on his profile.

6. At the end of each chapter is now a glossary with any NEW Japanese words I may have used throughout the story. Anything that had been used in previous chapters will not be repeated.

As this story is in the process of being translated, I am trying to keep editing at a regular pace. However, with school about to start (senior year, wOOt!) and band camp these next two weeks, also combined with my unpredictable work schedule, I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update. Please continue to check back as I hope it won't be too long before this story is completely done.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the story please!

Love,

MidnightWolf314


	2. Prolouge: Legally Blonde

Forget Me Not

A/N: Hello all! I don't really know where this idea came from. You see, I'm a semi-crazy person and I talk to myself a lot. That includes saying things like story plots that just pop randomly into my head. This one, unlike most others, just kept going and I'd actually come up with 7 chappies before I even wrote anything down. It was really spur-of-the-moment, but I think it's my best yet, though I'll let you guys be the judge of that. ( I have other stories on )

I'm now updating the prologue and 2 chappies tonight because they go over time and make more sense when read together rather than apart. They are posted together for this reason only! I'm sorry that it's practically the main part of the plot already, but it really, REALLY can't be helped. I'm sorry for this, but please review anyways.

**EDIT** (7/4/08): Here I am, as promised, editing my way through this story. These first few chapters won't have much changed in them, so they shouldn't take very long to redo. I hope everyone likes the new version even better than the rough. And I'm adding songs into all the chapters that don't have them. And changing some of the ones that don't fit. They are the titles of each chapter, for those of you who might be new. This one is "Legally Blonde". Please don't let it scare you away. This isn't a knock off of a chick flick. I promise.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha! That would be Rumiko Takahashi. And not me. I also do not own the song "Legally Blonde". It's from the Broadway musical, _Legally Blonde_.

_**Take back the books and pack up the clothes**_

_**Clear out the room and drop off the key**_

_**Leave what's left of my dignity**_

_**Get in the car and just go**_

_**Chalk it all off to experience**_

_**They said I'd fail, but I disagreed**_

_**Who could say then where my path would lead?**_

_**But now I know**_

_**Back to the sun**_

_**Back to the shore**_

_**Back to what I was before**_

_**Back where I'm known**_

_**Back in my own very small part**_

_**Laugh with my friends**_

_**When I arrive**_

_**We'll drop the top and just drive**_

_**That's fine with me**_

_**Just let me be**_

_**Legally Blonde**_

Forget Me Not

Prologue

I open my eyes slowly, almost afraid of what I'll see. The large, once beautiful, meadow, I know, is now the remains of a bloody and terrible battle. As I look around, I realize how strange the outcome seems.

We finally did it!

Naraku was defeated and destroyed last night.

It didn't come, however, without a price.

Quite a few were dead, and many more injured. The majority of the deaths came from Koga's tribe, though a few of Sesshomaru's servants and a couple villagers who stumbled upon the battle by accident added to the total. Both Sango and Miroku were passed out several feet away from me, with only the monk seriously injured. They'll live though, I know. We have all been through worse.

I look around for Inuyasha. He hadn't been hurt any more than usual, I know, and, I realize, he must feel better already since he is already walking around and observing the destruction. Or maybe he's just looking for the rest of the Jewel. I know he wants it still, even though I have a small hope that perhaps he would change his mind about his wish.

'But of course he still wants to be a full demon,' I think to myself. 'That has always been his wish.'

I stand up and walk towards him with the Jewel I'd completed last night in my right hand.

I am stiff and bloody from lying on the ground all night, but I don't really pay attention to the uncomfortable feeling of my situation.

I stand about five feet away from him, determined not to look in his unique eyes.

"Here." I said, throwing the Jewel at his feet. My voice, I notice, is completely void of emotion. "It's what you want, right? Then take it."

I can't stand the way his burning eyes are staring at me for even another second.

With that, I turn and run as fast as I can towards the well. He can catch up with me easily if he wants to, I tell myself. And, in my deepest heart, I wish he truly would come running after me, the Shikon no Tama long forgotten. But he only stares after me, golden eyes both confused and shocked.

No matter how much I want to stay, I simply can't.

And with that thought, I jump into the well and leave the Feudal Era for good.

'I'll never come back,' I swear to myself.

Of course, it's not like I could return, even if I wanted to at this point.

I don't have the Jewel anymore.

Inuyasha, I know, will become a full demon while Sango and Miroku will go their separate ways.

Shippo might stay with Kaede, but he's strong enough to live on his own.

If I stayed, or ever came back, it's not as if I could see them again, or even be of any use. I'd just be a stupid girl who only gets in the way. Just like I always have been.

'They only needed me for the Jewel.' I tell myself.

I just wonder why my heart refuses to believe it.

88888888

I walk through the door to my house quietly. I don't want questions and I don't want to talk about it. All I need is a huggable pillow, a tub of ice cream, and a marathon of sad movies. Oh yeah, and maybe a nice hot bath first.

But, no sooner than I had shut the door, Mom had her arms wrapped around me. "Honey, you're home."

Then she looks down at my uniform, all bloody and stained. "What happened? And where's Inuyasha?"

I can't hold it back any longer. I just cry, harder than I've ever cried before. "It's over Mom," I sob. "I can never go back." I break out of the embrace and run upstairs. I go straight down the hall to the bathroom and lock the door, with hope that no one will bother me, and immediately start to fill up the large bathtub with steaming hot water. After dumping in half a bag of my lavender and jasmine bath salts I undress and slowly begin to wash away my memories.

My adventures are over.

I am free to live a normal life.

No more Jewel, no more rare diseases, and no more Inuyasha…right?

A/N: So, how's the prolouge? Good? Bad? Stupid? Come on, people, you know you wanna review!! :Looks at field of people staring blankly: Oh please? :Puppy dog face: Oh fine, be that way!

Midnight-wolf-314


	3. Chapter 1: Goodbye Alice in Wonderland

Forget Me Not

A/N: Well, it's now the exact same time that I just put up the Prolouge, so it's not like I have anything to say except that I just randomly changed my mind and now you only get this chappie. And even though I _could_ go change it in the Prolouge, I don't feel like it! Got your hopes up didn't I? DIDN'T I? :looks menacingly at readers who all nod their heads quickly: That's what I thought. (insert sweet smile here) well alrighty then! On with the show…fiction…thing.

**EDIT** (7/4/08): Haha…with this chapter, I realized that half of my chapters were written in past tense and the rest in present tense. Why didn't anyone say something!? :goes back to change the prologue…: I cannot believe I did that! Oh well, from now on, everything will be in present tense. If anyone notices anything different, please let me know. And also, areas where I might have accidentally written out of first person…I saw a couple of those in the Prologue as well.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does and always will. I also don't own the amazingly wonderful song "Goodbye Alice in Wonderland" because Jewel does.

_**It's four in the afternoon**_

_**I'm on a flight leaving LA**_

_**Trying to figure out my life**_

_**My youth scattered on the highway**_

_**Hotel rooms and headlights**_

_**I've made a living with the song**_

_**Guitar as my companion**_

_**Wanting desperately to belong**_

_**Fame is filled with spoiled children**_

_**And we grow fat on fantasy**_

_**I guess that's why I'm leaving**_

_**I crave reality**_

_**So goodbye Alice in Wonderland**_

_**Goodbye yellow brick road**_

_**There is a difference between dreaming and pretending**_

_**I did not find paradise**_

_**It was only a reflection of my lonely mind wanting**_

_**What's been missing in my life**_

_**Truth is stranger than fiction**_

_**And this is my chance to get it right**_

_**And life is much better**_

_**Without all of those pretty lies**_

_**Oh so goodbye Alice in Wonderland**_

_**And you can keep your yellow brick road**_

_**There is a difference between dreaming and pretending**_

_**These are not tears in my eyes**_

_**They are only a reflection of my lonely mind finding**_

_**They are only a reflection of my lonely mind finding**_

_**I found what's missing in my life**_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 1

3 years later…

"I can't believe it's been this long," I whisper to myself as I stare down into the well. "A lot has changed since I left the feudal era."

I stare down at the stunning ring on my finger, and then at the plain white dress I wear.

This is it, though. The day I will forget about Inuyasha for good.

You see, for about six months after I left, I did nothing but sulk around. I even stayed home from school on most days. But after a while, I realized that I could never forget him as long as I was depressed. So I went to school and even started dating Hojo. I got involved in a whole lot of things and with each one I hoped it would help me forget my strange adventures, though nothing seemed to work. But I was always open to new theories, so when Hojo proposed, I figured, why not?

So here I am, marrying a guy I don't (never have and never will) love just to forget something of the past that just won't go away. Of course, I'll never give up hope that Inuyasha will come back for me someday.

I know, I know, how can I forget someone when all I do is hope and pray that he'll come back for me? But, I just can't help wishing for a miracle.

Just then, Yuka runs out of the house. "Kagome! Why are you out here? You should be inside. And you're sitting on the ground! You'll ruin your dress!" She grabs my wrist and drags me into the house while I take my last look at the well as an unmarried woman.

"Now would be a good time to come through that well, Inuyasha." I mutter. "You can still save me."

But I know he's not coming for me. It's been three years. Why now?

I let a silent tear roll down my cheek.

88888888

A Couple Hours Later

88888888

I find myself standing at the door to my house. Of course, I refused to have the wedding anywhere other than in front of the well.

"Are you sure you want to do this, sweetie?" Mom asks. In the past three years, I've told her everything. All about how much I love(d) Inuyasha and could never like Hojo any more than a friend. "You can still back out. And you can still go back."

"Mom, I can't go back. I don't have the jewel anymore. The well is sealed until he comes to get me, which he's not going to do. I need to forget. This is the only way."

Just then, the music starts to play and I walk down the isle, a fake smile plastered on my face while my mind sobs. A couple tears roll down my cheeks, but no one notices.

This is it.

I stand there, looking at Hojo, not wanting to make eye contact, but forcing myself to anyway. I hear my grandfather reading the vows, but I'm not paying attention. I'm trying my hardest to imagine the man in front of me as Inuyasha, but it's only semi-working.

Before I know it, the words, "I do," are coming out of my mouth, though I'm not saying them to Hojo.

I can only think of how Inuyasha and I fulfilled most of those promises already without even making them. As we kiss, I'm kissing my hanyou (if he still is one) and hoping that I'll open my eyes and he'll be there. 'Dare to dream,' I think, though I can't kill my hope.

When the kiss is over, Hojo picks me up bridal style and carries me back into the house.

All I can do is think of Inuyasha once again.

He'd carried me all the time, though only a few times were actually bridal style. Still, I remembered him picking me up with ease and running far ahead of the others, and I can't believe I'm letting someone else do this now.

88888888

The rain pours heavily from the sky, reflecting my mood. I can't believe I went through with it.

I'm sitting by the well again, still in my dress. I should be inside, but I just can't face anyone right now. I don't care if my beautiful white gown is ruined. My whole life is already ruined. I'm crying freely now, though the raindrops mask my tears, and my sobs are droned out by the thunder.

I look down at the well again and then up at the sky. The house around the well had been torn down, which I'm glad for. My hand finds its way to the side of it and I started to pick at the old, rotting wood. I do this a lot though, and I don't pay attention to what I'm doing. I'm only thinking of the times I had in the Feudal Era.

I miss them all, though they obviously don't miss me. If they did, Inuyasha would have come to get me by now.

I know he's not coming; yet why do I continue to hope that he does? He's probably become full demon by now. He'll never remember me. All hope should be lost, but why isn't it? What could I possibly gain from my sorrow?

I need to forget.

But why can't I?

Sure, I may have loved him more than anything, and maybe I still do, but it's in the past now. He must not have loved me very much, or even thought of me as a friend…at least not someone important.

I sigh out loud, though I can't hear it over the thunder. If only things were different. I quietly whisper my favorite song as of two years ago to myself. I learned it from watching an anime and I liked the meaning. Every time I hear it, I imagine Inuyasha holding me and singing it, as if telling me not to forget.

I sing it every night before bed, and I promise myself that if I ever have kids, that would be their lullaby. Though the father would sing it, and not me.

Maybe that father would be Inuyasha, though most likely I'd end up teaching the words to Hojo. I couldn't sing it myself because I cried every time I did.

I pull out the golden locket that I got from my mother as an early wedding gift that I had worn to the wedding. I found it sitting on my bed last night.

I reach down into the well and between two stones that had a slightly large opening between them. I pull out two pictures and try to shield them from the rain.

I remember when they were taken, back when we thought Naraku was gone. Sota had started the photo booth while Inuyasha and I were in there arguing.

I only have two left.

I stare at the pictures and think of how we always fought over stupid things, like me being in my time for longer than a day. Back then I'd thought of what I'd do when the Jewel was completed, but never decided anything for sure. But luckily I was spared the decision when Naraku came back to face Kaguya. That was right after the craziest thing I ever did, though probably the best, too.

It was when he was becoming full demon from Kaguya's spell and I had to kiss him to bring him back. It was the only thing I could think of to do. Now that I think about it, though, that was what broke the spell…and he kissed back…well, sort of. But, he did kind of have to. And while I'm thinking about it, I wonder what he ever did with that locket.

'Well, I guess I should start on mine.' I pull out a pair of scissors from the same place that I'd been saving for right now and cut the bottom one away from the top one. Then I cut out our faces in the shape of small hearts from one picture and carefully set them in the locket and close it. I replace the scissors and set the scraps with them, though I keep out the other picture.

It was the first one that had been taken and though it wasn't my favorite one, I wanted to keep it intact, even if it was the one where Inuyasha and I were fighting.

I stash the picture away quickly and close the locket. Then I remember what I'd said to Inuyasha when I gave him the locket. "It'll grant your wishes. Believe me, it works much better than the Sacred Jewel." He had said it was stupid at the time, but he was still wearing it in Kaguya's castle and it saved him from her freezing spell. I wrap both hands around the locket and whisper, "I wish he'd come for me."

I place the locket back inside my dress so Hojo won't see it and start aimlessly picking at the well again, memories flooding through my mind, tears pouring down my cheeks, and rain still falling heavily from the sky.

Suddenly, I see Hojo at the front door and I'm thankful it's raining so he can't see the tears that continue to fall. I must look pitiful though, with a muddy, torn wedding gown and mascara running down my face. "What on earth are you doing out here?" he inquires.

"Just thinking," I say.

"On our wedding night, beside this old well during a thunderstorm?"

"Well, yeah. I just needed a little space. Plus, I like the rain, even with thunder. And it's not just an old well. It's a…"

"500 year old piece of work which holds a lot of sentimental value for everyone in your family." He finished in a mock voice. "So I've heard."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, well if you stop saying things like that you'll stop hearing my lecture about it."

"Yeah, yeah. Well, come on. They're waiting for us to dance, but I'm guessing you need to change first."

"Yeah."

"Well, let's go then. They won't wait forever."

I got up reluctantly, not wanting to leave my spot by the well. I look down at it again, only to see what I'd done to the well with my nail. Through my tears, I could barely make out the words, "I'm sorry."

**EDIT**: I tried to change all of the past tense words into present tense. If you find something I missed, please let me know.

A/N: And that, you nice reviewers, is all you get for now. But I assure you, give me about ten hours tops and the next'll be posted. So until then…LOOK! BEHIND YOU! IT'S A GIRAFFE! Oh dangit, guess that doesn't work through the computer. But if you actually fell for that (Not counting if you're out in like, Africa and there really could be a giraffe behind you), then you are gullible enough to believe me when I say that…:phone rings: Oh hang on a sec. Hello? Yeah…uhhuh…alrighty…okey dokey…sure…I'll be sure and tell them…byes! Ok, I have just received a phone call from mister deep-voiced guy saying that if all you people out there who fell for the giraffe thing will die in seven days if you don't review…right now…as I'm speaking errr, tyrping…NOW!

J/K, but please do review cuz I'll luv ya forever if you do, ok? Yay, now I understand the benefits of butt-kissing! Ahem. Or being nice, if that's what ya call it.


	4. Chapter 2: Bottom of the Ocean

Forget Me Not

A/N: Now, wasn't that a fast update? Don't ya'll love me since I updated so quickly? It's only cuz ya'll reviewed so soon! And now I think everyone else should review (exaggerating voice) cuz we all know I worked _sooooooo_ hard on these chappies. Really! Why won't you believe me?! :sobs:

**EDIT** (8/2/08): Wow, this one took forever. I suppose the biggest thing I changed would be Hojo's slang, which was previously non-existent. I had quite a bit of fun with it. Anyways, I didn't put translations there, but if you read it out loud, you should be able to get it alright. If not just let me know and I'll tell ya. And also, I have BIG news! This story is being translated into German! Yup, that's right, the amazing _Kartarus _is translating the story to be reposted on fanfiction in German! I'm so happy! Anyways, this is big for everyone else because it mean, dun duh da dah…I HAVE to revise regularly now. So make sure you all check back for updates on a regular basis. I've also added a Japanese to English glossary at the end for reference. I don't use anything but kami in this chapter, but still. It's down at the very bottom, below my old author's note.

DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Inuyasha. These disclaimers really are pointless, y'know? I mean, why do I have to keep on telling you that Rumiko Takahashi is the one who owns Inuyasha (because everyone knows this anyway) and that I am most definitely not her. Except I do have to give credit to my lyrics at the beginning. Well, they're not really _my_ lyrics, I'm just using them to make my story more fun. In this case, the song would be "Bottom of the Ocean" by Miley Cyrus (WHAT? It's a good song!).

_**It's been in the past for awhile**_

_**I get a flash and I smile**_

_**Am I crazy?**_

_**Still miss you baby**_

_**It was real, it was right**_

_**But I burned to hot to survive**_

_**All that's left is**_

_**All these ashes**_

_**Where does the love go**_

_**I don't know**_

_**When it's all said and done**_

_**How could I be losing you forever?**_

_**After all the time we spent together?**_

_**I had to know why, I**_

_**Had to lose you**_

_**Now you'll just become**_

_**Like everything I'll never find, again**_

_**At the bottom of the ocean**_

_**Dododo dodododo**_

_**Dododo dododo**_

_**Dododo dododo**_

_**In a dream you appear**_

_**For awhile you were here**_

_**So I keep sleeping**_

_**Just to keep you with me**_

_**I draw a map, connect the dots**_

_**With all the memories that I got**_

_**What I'm missing**_

_**I'll keep reliving**_

_**Where does the love go**_

_**I don't know**_

_**When it's all said and done**_

_**How could I be losing you forever?**_

_**After all the time we spent together?**_

_**I had to know why, I**_

_**Had to lose you**_

_**Now you'll just become**_

_**Like everything I'll never find, again**_

_**At the bottom of the ocean**_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 2

7 years later…

"…and so the young girl married the handsome half demon and they lived happily ever after."

I finish the night's story like I always do. As usual, my daughter's face lights up and she asks, "Do you think the story really happened?"

"Yes, honey, I do." I say.

Of course, I don't just think. I know. Every last bit of every bedtime story I ever told her was true…except for the ending. Every night since she was born, Sango has heard a different story from me. It's always about the same people, it always begins the same way, and it always ends the same way.

Every night I start off like all stories, with 'Once upon a time…'. Every story is about my adventures in the Feudal Era. What's amazing is that my six-year-old daughter has heard a different story every night and I never once repeated myself. But the part that doesn't fit is always the ending. I always end it with 'And they all lived happily ever after' along with a lie about how I end up staying in the Feudal Era with Inuyasha. Only, she doesn't know it's about me.

But tonight is different. Tonight I finished everything down to Naraku dying and the jewel being completed. Because of this, this one story's ending is especially painful for me. I only wish the ending I've created were true.

Tonight is also different in another way—Hojo hasn't arrived home yet. He usually makes it home in time to hear the story, but even if he's not, he's always here before the end.

"Mommy, where's Daddy?" Sango asked, clutching her nightshirt and her stuffed dog, which, much to dismay, she named Inu (A/N: think sesshy's doggie form). "He still has to sing me my song."

"I don't know where he is, sweetie, but I'm sure he'll be home soon. Why don't you try to go to sleep and I'll send him in when he gets home?"

"Why don't you sing it for me Mommy? You never do. You never sing at all." She looked down at the pink dress. It had a little white dog and a little shiny pink ball on it. It was her favorite nightgown because it reminded her of the stories.

"Because it's not Mommy's song, sweetie, it's Daddy's. But I'll tell you what. If he's not home in thirty minutes and you still aren't asleep, I'll sing it for you. How about that?"

"Ok, I guess. I hope he gets home soon."

"So do I."

I hope she doesn't notice the worried tone of my voice.

!!

I sit down at the kitchen table to wait for Hojo to come home. It's not like him to miss putting Sango to bed; he never has before. He even likes the stories, or so he says. He thinks I have a "great imagination". Ha! He would often say I should write a novel with them all. Maybe I should. I'm trying to forget about it. I know I could make millions, but why be rich if you can't be happy with it?

What Sango doesn't know is that he'd been coming home drunk for a couple months. It was never too bad, and he could still sing her the song. She just thought the slight slur to the words was something he made up to go along with it. I can't help but worry, though.

What if he had gotten hurt?

Or what if he was more intoxicated then ever?

I took out my locket that hasn't once left my neck since my wedding night and opened it up as I cry once again. I cry every night after Sango goes to sleep. I cry because of the stories. I cry because of the song. And I cry as I wonder what possessed me to name my daughter "Sango" of all names. I still can't understand why, if I was trying to forget, I was finding little ways to remember.

I still sit out near the well every day and look at the last picture I have left when Sango isn't with me. And sometimes, when I don't want to be found, I climb the sacred tree and sit in the large branches while thinking, as always, of Inuyasha.

I would often caress the spot on the tree where the bark doesn't grow as I look at the small hole where the arrow had once been. I even put another arrowhead in the hole after the first one disappeared during the battle with Menomaru. Everything that happens in my life I find a way to relate to the feudal era. I don't want to, but I do.

It's been ten years and while my mind says it's impossible he'll come now after a decade, my still-shattered heart won't let me lose hope. I think every day.

"It's impossible. It's been too long."

Yet I'll never forget.

Just then, Hojo storms into the room, obviously drunk. He can barely stand up straight, and it's almost impossible to understand his words when he says, "En wha're'ou doen' up, bich?" (A/N: hope everyone can understand my extremely drunken slang. I know Microsoft can't.)

I'm shocked. I've never heard him talk like this before. Of course, he's never been this drunk before, either. "I was waiting for you. Why are you home so late?"

"I 'as out. What's'i to ou?" (A/N: say that out loud. You'll get it.) He grabbed me by my shirt collar and lifted me off the ground and up against the wall. "And whas t'is?" He took hold of my locket with his other hand and opened it. He looked for no more than a couple seconds before he slapped me across the face.

"Who eez t'is?"

I don't answer. I just stare at him in shock. Why is he doing this?

"I ASKED YOO WHO T'IS EEZ!!"

He looks me straight in the eyes, his hand at the ready to strike again.

"ANS'ER MEH 'EN I ASS YOO A QUESTION!!"

He slaps me again and then throws me on the ground with such force that I slide into the rough table corner.

"He's an old friend from Junior High, ok?"

He walks up to me then, practically fuming at the mouth. He grabs the locket again and tears at it. I can feel the solid gold clasp snap against my neck as he yanks. He tosses it on the tile floor as though it were nothing.

I helplessly watch as he positions himself to stomp on my most cherished adornment. I flinch, but the smash never comes. Instead, I notice that Hojo's attention has been diverted from the locket by a small gasp. We both freeze.

"Daddy, why are you fighting with Mommy? You haven't sung to me yet tonight and you missed Mommy's story." She clutched Inu to her chest and, though trying to look calm, was obviously frightened by her father's strange actions.

Hojo looks directly at her and, for a moment, he seems to calm down a little. For a brief second I thought he'd stop his abusive rampage.

Before I could spare a word to my daughter, however, then he rushes over and throws her against the wall in the same manner he had used with me. He attempts to pull Inu out of her tight grip, ripping its leg a little in the process. I hear her scream in protest, and yet my body is too frozen in shock to react.

"I DUN CARE THAT I MISSED TA STEWPID STORY 'EN I'LL SING TA EW O'LY IF I WAN' TA YOU LI'LE PIECE'A SHIT!"

That was it. For just a moment, I feel something inside of me crack.

I jump up and grasp his arm as tightly as I can.

"Do anything you want to me, but leave her alone!"

He responds by taking hold of my throat and throwing me against the stove. I feel a searing pain rush through my head. Dizziness overtakes me, and yet I am able to reach up and feel the injury, so as to determine its condition. I notice blood then, crimson and sticky, seeping over my hand and through my hair. In the corner of my brain, I hear him scream a retort.

"EW STA OU'A EEZ BI'CH!"

His guard is down. I briefly thank whatever _kami_ are watching over me that three years of fighting demons taught me at least this much. And I do the only thing that comes to mind.

"RUN!!"

Sango looks up for a brief second before she's dodging her father and rushing out the door. I lunge across the floor and grasp the locket in my hand. He turns back towards me and lets out another string of, this time, completely incoherent phrases. I can tell his mind is slowing down with the effects of the alcohol. I stagger to my feet and follow Sango out the Kitchen door.

I can tell my head is bleeding badly, though I really don't care at this point in time. All that matters is getting away from my insane husband.

With no idea where to hide, I find myself rushing towards my daughter, who is currently sobbing in front of the Sacred Tree. I run up to her and grab her up into my arms. Wherever I go, she's gonna have to go to, and I know she can't run as fast as I can.

I look behind me as I run, willing myself not to trip over certain familiar roots and holes. He's a ways behind, though catching up quickly. I don't have much time.

I can only think of one place I can run to where I can be completely safe. But the question is, will I be able to get there? And more importantly, will Sango be able to get there? And if she can…will Hojo be able to follow as well?

Regardless, I realize, it's a dead end.

If I don't try, we'd have a better chance of escaping to a decent hiding place. Maybe Mom's new house, or even Yuka's…she lives the closest anyway. If he caught up, though, Hojo would kill us both in his rage.

But if we try and don't make it, we'd be dead without a chance. It seems hopeless either way, but I have to try, even though the odds are most definitely against me.

I hold my precious locket in one hand and shift Sango to piggyback style as best I can.

"Please let us through," I beg and I kiss the locket as I jump into the well.

A/N: The End!…

of chapter 2 that is

…oh I'm evil!

A/N: Well guess what! Ya'll lucked out! I decided not to end it there. Hehehe! But it's only 'cuz it doesn't fit right into the next chappie unless I put this part here. Don't worry though, you'll still get a semi-cliffie! So enjoy the little extension!

There's no blue flash and at first I think we hadn't gone through. That is, until I open my eyes I never realized I shut and notice the vines growing on the side of the well waiting for me to climb like I had so long ago. My dizziness was overwhelming, but I climbed anyway, just in case it might try to send us back.

I sense more than see Sango looking around and when she opens her mouth to say something, I hush her.

"Don't speak." I say. "There's no time for questions now. I'll tell you later if you don't find out first on your own."

I start on the path to Kaede's village, knowing she could help me. Part of me hoped the old woman was still alive, but I pushed the thought to the back of my mind.

I walk quickly, but don't run. It's been ten years and there's no telling what's happened to the trail since then.

Through my scattered, dizzy thoughts, I keep going.

"Inuyasha!" I cried, hoping above all hope he'd hear me, just in case he is still half demon and even still residing in these parts. _Kami_, I hope he is.

"Inuyasha!" I scream again, trying my hardest not to shed tears.

I know what I'll find, though I don't dare to believe it.

"Help me, Sango. Just scream with me. INUYASHA! MIROKU? SANGO? SHIPPO? ANYBODY!"

We both scream as loud as we can, and even together as my tears overwhelm me. They softly fall from my eyes, moistening my already tearstained cheeks.

I couldn't tell what I was crying about. Hojo's actions? The terror of the night? The fear of what Inuyasha has become? And I realize with that thought—we may not be any better off here. I think my tears have upset Sango, for she too starts to cry. And for her, I dry my eyes.

But no matter how loud we yelled, no one came. We had just gotten to the Sacred Tree (it was then I realized that I really hadn't been moving as quickly as I believed) when I felt dizziness overwhelm me.

"Inuyasha! INUYASHA PLEASE!" I screamed as I grasped the trunk of the large tree and felt my fingers slowly fall down the sides of it.

"Please come! Do you hate me, Inuyasha? DO YOU!? I KNOW you can hear me, Inuyasha! I'M SORRY! But please, Inuyasha! Youkai or Hanyou, I don't care! Please help me. Please…I have nowhere else to go…please…"

I feel my arms go limp and I collapse, the locket flies out of my hand. The last thing I hear is Sango screaming as loud as she can through her terrified sobs.

"INUYASHA, WHOEVER YOU ARE, PLEASE COME!"

And then, everything goes black.

TBC….

A/N: Ok, the end for real now! Poor Kagome, she just can't get even one little happy moment in her life at all…

And sorry to anyone who likes/loves Hojo and doesn't want him to be a mean drunken idiot like I made him, but it kinda has to be done. Trust me, I considered making him not Hojo and come up with some stupid new person no one's ever heard of before, but then we can't make the other 2/3 of the 'We love Kagome' fan club even more jealous than before just cuz I'm evil like that! (For anyone who didn't understand a word of that, the 2/3 would be Inu and Koga out of Hojo)

And now, you get to review again! But I'm being unimaginative and lazy, so I can't come up with threats right now. So I'm gonna do this instead…

:Gets down on knees and clasps hands together: Oh please, please, please? Pretty please? What if I gave you a cookie? Or Ice Cream? Or pizza? Hot chocolate? :Screams: WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE WANT FROM ME?? I just want you to review…:pouts:

:Rin walks through the door and steps up to the now abandoned computer since Midnight is hiding in the corner crying: Ummm, hi nice people. The crazy lady over in the corner wants me to tell you that you should review before she starts hypervenalating. :Whispers: please, she's really scary like this. Help me, Lord Sesshomaru! Save me from this crazy-scary lady. :Midnight stands up: Hey, I heard that! :Rin runs in circles screaming: Please help me Sesshomaru-sama! Or anybody!

Now… everybody review! Cuz if you don't, Rin will be stuck here and tortured for all eternity and she's so cute that nobody wants that, right? Oh, and since Sesshy can't exactly review, he has to make me a princess and let me do whatever I want and even tell him what to do! And he'll do it too, just to save his beloved Rin-chan from my craziness! Muahahahahahahahahahahahahaaha! :Hack, cough, wheeze:

**Glossary:**

Kami- means 'spirit' in the Shinto religion, though can be interpreted as "God" or "soul" as well. The Shinto religion focuses on these spirits, which are said to reside in everything that exists in the world. Kagome lives on a Shinto shrine, so she says 'kami' instead of 'God'. Because there isn't one specific kami, however, that would be watching over/protecting Kagome, I used it in a way that I hope uses the word more freely, as though she's talking about any kami, not a specific one.


	5. Chapter 3: So Close

Forget Me Not

A/N: YAY! More reviewsies! I see you guys don't want to torture Rin any longer, however Sesshy has still not given into my demands…

**EDIT** (8/2/08): Well, this one I kinda rushed through. I made the dialogue between Inuyasha and Sango span for about a page longer, and changed a few wording errors and that's about it. I plan to leave this chapter in past tense. I know the rest of the story is in present tense, but this chapter isn't in Kagome's POV and it's weird to write in both third person and present tense. It just reads weird, I think.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha. He and all his buddies are Rumiko Takahashi's property and not mine. I also don't own the song "So Close". The wonderful Jon McLaughlin owns it. And Disney, cuz they use it in _Enchanted_.

_**You're in my arms**_

_**And all the world is gone**_

_**The music playing on**_

_**For only two**_

_**So close together**_

_**And when I'm with you**_

_**So close to feeling alive**_

_**A life goes by**_

_**Romantic dreams must die**_

_**So I bid mine goodbye**_

_**And never knew**_

_**So close was waiting**_

_**Waiting here with you**_

_**And now, forever, I know**_

_**All that I want is to hold you**_

_**So close**_

_**So close to reaching**_

_**That famous happy and**_

_**Almost believing**_

_**This one's not pretend**_

_**Now you're beside me**_

_**And look how far we've come**_

_**So far**_

_**We are**_

_**So close...**_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 3

_NOTE: Kagome is, at the moment, unconscious and therefore doesn't have a POV until she wakes up. So, until then, the story will be from an onlooker's POV. As soon as Kagome wakes up, it will go back to her POV. And it'll all be in past tense. Yea, I know that's weird, but it's even stranger to have it in present tense if it's not in first person. Deal wit it. _

Inuyasha stood straight up at the scent. He bolted to the door of Kaede's hut to better catch the scent.

'It can't be.'

The scent was unmistakable; the one he feared most of all—Kagome's blood.

But that was impossible, right? As if to prove his nose was correct he heard the long lost _miko_ calling to him from near the well. There was also another voice, and then only the new voice. He smelled tears too. They were like Kagome's, only slightly different. He didn't waste time thinking, though. If Kagome needed him, he had to get there as soon as possible.

He ran as fast as he could and probably made it to the Sacred Tree in record time. As nice as this might have been regularly, it didn't even register on Inuyasha's brain scale at the time. All he did was stare at the woman on the ground.

She had a bad head injury and had apparently collapsed from loss of blood. She looked just like Kagome, only a little older. And there was a little girl too. No more than six or seven, she looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

'Just like a mini Kagome,' he thought, 'only her eyes are blue rather than the chocolate brown I remember.' Her black hair was tied up in pigtails with pink ribbons, he noticed, and her dress, or nightgown, was bright pink matcing the ribbons, and on it was a little white dog, playing with a pink ball. She clutched a stuffed dog that reminded him of his stupid brother and around her neck was a chocker with three charms on it: a man, a woman, and a little girl.

"Are you Inuyasha?" She sniffled.

She was just like a miniature Kagome and he wondered for a second if she was the former _miko_'s daughter. He looked down suddenly and saw the golden locket Kagome cherished so dearly. He opened it and found both his and her pictures in it.

'I had no idea she made one for herself too…'

He looked back at the little girl. "Yeah, that's me. What's up? Oh, and, who are you?"

"I don't know where I am. Mommy jumped down a well and then we got here and she told me to help call you and then she fell down."

'So she is Kagome's daughter after all.'

"Has your mom ever told you about Kaede?" He looked down at her trembling form as he hoisted Kagome's limp body up in his arms. He bent down. "Get on," he said, gesturing to his back. She complied.

"Mom told me stories…but I didn't think they were real."

"Well, I don't know much about what she told you in these stories, but we're gonna go see Kaede and she'll make your mom better, okay?" He felt her nod against his back and sighed.

'Kagome's daughter…'

"That locket you picked up…there are pictures in it. Is that you in those pictures?"

"Yeah, it is. But that was a long time ago."

"Really? How long?"

"About twelve years ago, I suppose."

"Wow…"

Silence.

"Why are you fighting?"

"Huh?"

"In the pictures, you and Mom were fighting. How come?"

"Your mom and I used to be good friends, but we never seemed to agree on anything. We were always fighting, and mostly over stupid things.Now, you may find this hard to believe, but you're five hundred years in the past right now. That well is a portal to get here, but it was supposed to be sealed a long time ago. I could have gone to get her, but I thought she didn't want to see me again. I don't know how much, if any, of this she's told you, but we had to find the pieces of a jewel and defeat an evil monster named Naraku. Back then, I was stubborn and short tempered and she never let me forget it. Those pictures were taken by accident. I never thought she would have kept them."

Another silence.

"Can you tell me what happened to your mom?"

"Well, I think it started cuz Daddy missed my story and couldn't sing me my lullaby which he'd never missed once. Mommy went to the kitchen to wait for him. I heard all this yelling next and then I saw Daddy. He was all dizzy and stuff. He hit Mommy and said bad words and he tore the locket off her neck. Then he hit me and ripped Inu's leg," she gestured toward her poor injured dog.

"Mommy tried to stop him, but he threw her against the stove and her head started bleeding. We escaped, but she couldn't decide where to go and then she went to the well when she asked the locked to let us through and then we ended up here."

"…So the locket let her through? I wondered how she came back…

Anyway, do you know what your Dad's name is?"

"I think it's Hojo. He went to school with Mommy."

Hojo. Inuyasha's ears lowered slightly at the name and his gaze saddened considerably. Half of it was of worry for Kagome and the other half was of self-pity. She was married. She never thought of him as anything other than a friend. At least her coming back meant she at least wanted to see him again.

Or maybe she only came because she needed a place to hide.

"I think Mommy missed you a lot." Sango said out loud.

Inuyasha perked up a little.

"She told me stories every night about a girl who fell down a well and found a hanyou stuck to the Sacred Tree. Then Daddy would sing me a song about remembering and forgetting. She'd cry every night after that but would never tell Daddy why. She didn't even know I saw her. Then she sat at the well or up in the tree every day for a few hours and sometimes looked at the picture she hid in the well. I know it's one like the pictures in the locket. You're fighting there too. But she cried every time she saw it and was always mumbling wishes to herself."

Inuyasha turned his head to look at her. He knew the trail well enough to run it without looking. "Did she ever mention names in the stories?"

"All of them except the girl's. You're the guy who was stuck to the tree. And I'm named after the demon slayer. But I never thought the stories could be true. She always ended the stories with the girl staying with you and getting married and stuff. Then she'd say you lived happily ever after. But if the stories are about you two, then why does she say those things?" (A/N: Ah, to be young and naive)

!!

They arrived at Kaede's hut a few seconds after that. Inuyasha had taken his time getting there so he could hear the girl's—Sango's—story. He didn't need to rush. He knew Kagome would be all right. It was just a small cut compared to some of the things that had happened so long ago. She'd only lost a lot of blood, and needed to rest.

All the same, when he laid her on the floor and called Kaede in from wherever she was.

He sat down beside her firmly. 'I won't leave until she's awake.'

Kaede rushed in and looked at her next patient. Her eyes suddenly widened as she stared at the woman. "Inuyasha, is that…?"

"Yeah. She had some sort of fight with her _husband_," he growled out the word, "and cut her head pretty badly, though it should be ok. Nothing compared to what she used to get. She came here to hide from him."

Kaede looked at the young _miko_ she had come to care for so much in the past. Yes, she'll be all right, but who is that young girl?

!!

Over the couple days that Kagome was unconscious, Inuyasha was true to his word. He never once left the _miko_'s side and never let go of her hand. He didn't sleep either. Most of the time Sango stayed by her mother's side also, talking with Inuyasha about whatever came to mind, though she left occasionally to eat and to talk to Kaede.

She told Inuyasha and Kaede about everything her mother had said about him and how Kagome never seemed to love Hojo as much as she should have. She had figured that if Hojo were to die, Kagome'd only be saddened a little. Her life would still be the same.

During meals, Kaede would tell Sango stories of everything that used to happen, guessing Kagome had been vague in her details. Also, about how obvious it was that they loved each other so long ago, and how much Inuyasha showed that he missed her.

He had never used the jewel for anything, especially what he wanted it for in the first place, and how he sat at the well every day with the locket.

She was told much about Sango and Miroku as well. About where they came from and why they joined. Also about the love story between them as well and how they were married with four kids.

All in all, those first few days were filled with both happy and sad memories and hopes. Every night, Sango still got a story, though it was longer and more detailed. She didn't get a song, but that didn't surprise her. She'd just curl up beside Inuyasha and fall asleep.

But a couple days after her arrival, Sango found that she couldn't sleep. She didn't know why, but she just couldn't. She missed her dad, but was still somewhat glad he couldn't get to them. Or could he?

Maybe that was what worried her. That he'd come through the well and find out about all of this and kill both of them. She hadn't seen Inuyasha in action yet, but didn't exactly believe the stories of how strong he was.

'They must be exaggerating,' she thought.

Inuyasha, who'd been up for three nights straight, the longest he'd been awake since the last time Kagome was here, was starting to get tired, however. He couldn't believe it, but he needed sleep…and food, but at least the hunger he could deal with for now.

He was just about to lie down next to Kagome and go to sleep when her eyes suddenly fluttered open.

A/N: Another cliffie! Oh, I'm bad. Ya'll hate me. But you know ya wanna review anyway! Well, instead of doing threats today, I'm just gonna tell ya to review cuz this is the 4th chappie I've posted today and my creativity pool has gone blank. I need another boring day at school to snap me back into 'idea' mode. And this'll be the last chappie for the day! I'm just being nice. And ya'll realize that I'm more than half-way done with what I have written so far? If I update any more, I'll be up 'till forever tomorrow night writing another chappie and then I'll be mad the next day cuz I'll be really tired and won't be able to update cuz I collapsed from exhaustion. So ya'll review, but the next chappie won't be till tomorrow…though maybe I'll be nice and post in the morn before school so I can get happy reviews all day! YAY! So you better review!

You're getting sleepy…very very sleepy. Now, when I say 'review' you will push the little blue button in the corner because it's so pretty and mystifying you can't resist. Are you ready? Ok…one…two…three….REVIEW!

There, now ya have to! :looks smug:

**Glossary:**

Miko- priestess. Of course, any use of the word in this chapter is used in reference to Kagome. When I say former priestess, I simply mean that she's obviously been out of practice for about ten years. I don't mean anything about the fact that she's married, since she'll still have to use her powers some in future chapters.


	6. Chapter 4: Inori You Raise Me Up

Forget Me Not

A/N: Well, be happy reviews cheer me up cuz today has not been my day. I….HATE….SCHOOL! Mrs Savoy has given us SOOOO much homework AND a test tomorrow, then Mr ogle gave us his stupid hard vocab words and made us write an essay and gave us a worksheet for h/w. Then we had to play hockey in gym. Sorry to anyone who likes hockey, but it is NOT my sport. (actually no sport is my sport cuz I'm not athletic whatsoever) and then we had to march…outside…in 95 degree weather. God, I hate school! But ya'll make it so much better, so thanks cuz now I'm happy and I've been coming up with new characters/plots for future stuff for when I need it and it's just cuz you people reviewed so much. -

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and made my happy! Yay happiness! And see, if you review, you're rewarded cuz now I can give you pizza and candy and ice cream and cookies and all the other fun junk food you people like (and me too, so get it before it's gone!) :holds out large platter: Come on, help yourselves!

**EDIT** (8/5/08): This chapter edited fairly easily. I didn't change much of the wording scheme at all. I really only changed the tense, as most of this one had previously been in past. I took out the part about Inuyasha crying because it seemed too cheesy and lame, and I also tried to make it seem as though Kagome had more trouble remembering the translation to "Blue Flow", since I did say she hadn't repeated the translation in six years. If it seems too strange, let me know and I'll take it out again.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha, so don't sue me. Not that I could give you anything cuz I'm totally broke since I spend all my money on jewelry and manga the day that I get it…haha. The song "Blue Flow" is the credit song for Haibone Renmei which also does not belong to me. I give full credit to the numerous anime people, artists, and designers who created it. The translation to the song, which is also posted in this chapter, is the translation from the DVDs. The opening song is "-Inori- You Raise Me Up" from the anime _Romeo x Juliet_. The artist is LENA PARK and not me. The translation of it (shown at the end of the chapter) was done by DarkMirage on anime lyrics . com, so please don't review with something like "you spelled this wrong" or "you translated that wrong". I don't know much Japanese yet, so I am unfortunately unable to tell.

_**urunda hitomi no oku ni**_

_**kawaranu kimi no sugata**_

_**"doko made sekai wa tsudzuku no"**_

_**todaeta hibi no kotoba**_

_**kogoeru arashi no yoru mo**_

_**mada minu kimi e tsudzuku**_

_**oshiete umi wataru kaze**_

_**inori wa toki wo koeru**_

_**kasunda chihei no mukou ni**_

_**nemureru hoshi no souwa**_

_**"akenai yoru wa nai yo" to**_

_**ano hi no tsumi ga warau**_

_**furueru kimi wo dakiyose**_

_**todokanu kokuu wo aogu**_

_**kikoeru yami terasu kane**_

_**kimi eto michi wa tooku**_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 4

Back to Kagome's POV

As I woke up, the first thing I notice is that I'm lying on the ground. And my head really hurts. Not like a cold headache either, oh no. It's more like a throbbing pain. For a brief moment, I wonder why. But as I remember what happened, I realize that I'm not covered in blood anymore. Regardless of my state of being, however, I find I have only one thought.

'Did it really happen? Did I really go through the well?'

There's only one way to find out…

I open my eyes quickly. Maybe a little too quickly, I note as the world spins around me. But after a couple seconds, I am able to make out someone standing over me. Someone with silvery white hair and…and…dog ears…

"Inuyasha!"

I sit bolt upright and within seconds I've thrown my arms around him, hugging him tighter than I ever remembered doing before.

"Inuyasha!"

I want to laugh and cry and smile all at the same time, which, I figure, might be possible, but is probably kinda hard to do. So I choose cry to begin with.

"I thought I'd never see you again!"

He only hugged me back, one hand around my waist and the other holding my head into his haiori.

Suddenly, I feel someone tugging on what I realize is Kikyo's old _miko_ clothing. My others must have been ruined. But I push that thought away from my mind as I saw Sango, still in her slightly torn nightshirt. She looks sleepy, though she's smiling.

"Mommy, why didn't you tell me the stories were about you?"

I look down at her innocent little face and smile.

"Because Mommy was trying to forget. But it wasn't working."

"Wait, you wanted to forget?" Inuyasha was looking at me questioningly.

"Well, I thought you'd use the jewel to become full demon so there was no point in me remembering. If I were to ever find out that you had used it and my hopes said you hadn't, my heart would break. Not like it wasn't already broken, though."

"Why did you leave if it meant so much to you?"

"I couldn't stand to see everyone forget about me. My job was done and no one else needed me."

"Now you know that's not…" Suddenly, he was interrupted.

"Mommy?" I look down at Sango again. "Can you sing me the song, please? You said you would if Daddy wouldn't."

"I guess I can this once." I close my eyes and try to think of the words that seem so far away to me.

"_Naze wasuretai no_

_Nee omoidashite_

_Atatakai hoho ni furu_

_Namida no negai_

_Naze furue nagara_

_Ima motome auno_

_Kimi dake o nando demo_

_Dakishime tai kara_

_Aoi hoshi no umi_

_Namima hi tadayou hane_

_Kietevuku kanashimi wa_

_Ashita eno inori nano_

_Blue flow."_

She smiles.

"You sing good."

I laugh silently as she yawns and lies down. It's not long before she's asleep.

"It's pretty. What does it mean?" (Note: let's pretend Inuyasha doesn't know Japanese for right now. It is an _**English**_ fic after all.)

I look up at him. I hadn't told the meaning to anyone except for Hojo and Sango. And that was six years ago. But, I would tell him if I could remember…

"Well, it's been a while…but I might be able to remember…

"_Why do you want to forget?_

_Please try to remember_

_Wishes of tears that pour _

_On your warm cheeks_

_Why do you want each other now?_

"Umm…oh, that's right.

"_Even when you are shaking_

_Just want to hold you_

_Over and over again_

_The ocean of the big blue planet_

_The feathers drifting in the wave_

_The sorrow that is fading away_

_Is a prayer for tomorrow_

_Blue flow."_

Oh great, now I'm crying again. It's been so long since I've said those words. It seems unreal to say it now, and to Inuyasha, no less. He looks at me, his gaze saddened, and lifts me onto his lap with ease. He lets me cry for a few minutes, and then…

"Why did you leave?"

"I thought you'd become a full demon. I didn't want to leave, but I felt I had to."

"If you'd stayed a few seconds more I would have told you that I changed my mind. I didn't want the jewel any more."

I looked away. "But you still wanted me gone. You never came back for me. But I know what you're thinking and I understand. I was just a jewel detector and nothing more. I don't belong here any more. I should just go back home forever and try to forget."

I start crying harder and try to get up, but I find he won't let me. He grabs my chin and turns my head to where he can look me in the eye.

"No. I let you go last time and I don't plan on making the same stupid mistake twice. I never wanted you gone. There's only one reason I didn't come for you, and that's because I thought you didn't want anything else to do with us. And you were never just a jewel detector, or a copy. I always wanted you here. This is where you belong and you're not going back without me ever again. Hojo won't ever get another chance to hurt you. You're never leaving me again."

It took me a couple seconds to analyze what it was he was trying to say. Maybe I'm not as unimportant to him as I thought.

He just looks at me for a while, his gaze going from sad to almost loving.

"Sango told me how much you missed me. It sounds like she was spying on you. She saw you crying, and in the tree, and looking at pictures, and even wishing on that locket. Oh, and you were right. It does grant wishes." We both smile at that. "She also said that she doesn't think you really love Hojo that much."

"I don't. He's a friend and nothing more."

"But he's you husband…and your daughter's father."

"All just stupid ideas that might help me forget. I thought that if I pretended to love someone else, all my memories and wishes would just go away."

"And of course they didn't." I just shake my head.

"What, you're surprised? You seemed fairly sure that I was this stupid back then."

"You're not stupid and you never were."

"But you said…"

"I never meant it. Not once. I missed you, too. And if it makes you feel any better, I sat by the well every day and wished on that locket. It may have taken ten years, but it worked perfectly. You have no idea how much I've missed you."

We just sit quietly then, snuggling contently. We didn't need any more words.

After a while, he lifts my chin up and looks into my eyes. They bore into my soul, as if looking for something. And then, he bends down slowly to kiss me. I can't believe it, but I don't pull away. This was our first _real_ kiss! Well, it was nothing like before. The kiss deepens and soon, our fingers are tangling in each other's hair and our mouths are open. We break apart only when air becomes a necessity.

His strong arms wrap around me as tightly as is possible. He kisses me again and lies down on the ground, pulling me with him.

For the first time in nearly a decade, I smile a true smile. And I am truly happy as we curl up in each other's embrace and fall asleep, both knowing that we've finally gotten the one thing we want more than anything.

A/N: **THE END!!**

Oh, come on, I was joking. **Joking!!** Ok, now be honest—who out there thought it was really over? If you did, it means you don't read my a/n's and review replies cuz I've said like, five times that I have seven chappies done and more coming soon! I've even mentioned some ideas…

Too tired to threaten, so just review ok? Oh, and I let Sesshy and Rin go after I told them that I would never _really_ hurt the poor girl. I mean, they're my fav characters! Why would I hurt them in any way at all? Oh, but Sesshy did agree to give me little demand (the princess thing), but I decided, well, it's so sweet that they're in the castle together and technically Rin is like, 19 cuz of the 10-yr span and all Sesshy has to do to get some alone time is order all his servants out, but he couldn't get me out w/o telling me what he was doing to begin with, so yeah. ;) (yes I like sess/rin. I think it's really sweet. I'm not opposed to any other pairings like sess/kagura or rin/kohaku, but I prefer them to be together cuz it's just so sweet. And anyone who wants to flame me saying it's nasty, think about it. Inu's dad mated with his _human_ mother when he was like, at least 700 and she was probably no older than 20, so it's not that bad…)

Ok, my ranting is done. Hope you enjoyed the chappie, and review riview review! -

"Inori You Raise Me Up" translation

_In the depths of my tear-filled eyes,_

_Is your everlasting beauty._

_"How far does the world go?"_

_Those words from our bygone days._

_Even on those freezing, stormy nights,_

_Though you are still out of sight, I continue on._

_Please tell me, ocean-crossing winds,_

_That my prayers will pass through time._

_Beyond the misty horizons,_

_Stars are fabled to lie._

_"Dawn will surely follow every night."_

_The sins of my past laughs._

_I try to embrace you trembling with uncertainty,_

_But I look up at the empty sky beyond reach._

_I hear the chime that illuminates darkness,_

_Showing me that the path to you is still far._


	7. Chapter 5: Mouth Shut

Forget Me Not

A/N: Ok, I have, yet again, not had a good day. But, I came home to find 8 reviews waiting for me, so thank you all! I'm not feeling well at all, damn sinuses, and so all I feel like doing is watching Inuyasha while lying on my nice soft warm bed with my cuddly study buddy! AND, I just spent 1 ½ hrs marching and we only got 2 charts put on cuz people obviously don't understand, even 1 ½ months into the season, that the main point is to WATCH THE DRUM MAJOR!! OMG! I'm so ticked off, but you guys help me with my anger and frustration cuz it's so nice to know that people at least like my writing.

I still have to start writing new chappies. You see, since I was so nice to you on Sunday and gave you 4 chappies, I now only have 2 (not including this 1) that are now written and ready. So, unless I feel just oh so better tomorrow, I'm sorry to say it may be a couple days before any more chappies past the 7th come out. So sorry, but even though I have about a million ideas, I just can't put them down on paper and it's been driving me crazy for 3 months! But I'll try to post every day, even if the chappies are suckish, ok?

And thank you to anyone who actually read all of my rambling! -

**EDIT** (8/5/08): Around half-way through this chapter, I had to go re-watch Inuyasha episodes 124-126. Just thought I'd let you all know. Again, not much except the tense changed in this chapter. I really don't like Koga in this story. I just don't I kinda wish I'd never put him in here, but I know the triangle needed to be cleared up, and he needed to hear who Kagome really likes…GAH. I just don't like writing about him. I don't even really like him that much in the show. Ah well.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha. He and his fun buddies belong to Rumiko Takahashi who, I'm sure, is much better suited to doing the manga in the first place. I also don't own the song "Mouth Shut" by The Veronicas.

_**I kept my mouth shut from the start**_

_**I guess I left you in the dark**_

_**You thought you knew me but you don't**_

_**You say you love me but you won't**_

_**When you find out who I am**_

_**  
**__**I kept my mouth shut for too long**_

_**All this time you got me wrong**_

_**And now we're in this way too far**_

_**I'm about to break your heart**_

_**Tear everything we had apart**_

_**  
**__**Won't keep my mouth shut any more**_

_**I've had my share of closing doors**_

_**And now I know I'm not afraid**_

_**I know exactly what you'll say**_

_**But I'm sorry it's too late**_

_**  
**__**I've kept my mouth shut for too long**_

_**And now I know that it was wrong**_

_**I wish I told you from the start**_

_**That this was never meant to last**_

_**We should've never gone this far**_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 5

The first thing I notice the next morning is that I'm no longer on the ground. Instead, I'm somewhat propped up, like I had about three pillows behind my head. I don't want to get up yet. It seems so early compared to when I normally get up, but was maybe only an hour earlier. I don't go back to sleep though, since I figure I'm in Inuyasha's lap again. He probably wants to get up.

I can hardly believe what happened last night. It all seems so far away—almost like a dream that I can barely remember. But I know it really happened. Even though the events seem so far away, I can remember the little details in a way that I couldn't if it _had _been a dream.

My eyes open, though a little more slowly than yesterday. As expected, I see Inuyasha smiling down on me. I also notice that both Sango and Kaede were staring at us. Kaede seems to have expected it. She's smirking in a way I've never seen her before, and I almost feel like laughing at her expression.

Sango seems a little less understanding, though. She just stares at us, as though shocked, yet happy too. She's confused, though, I know. And although she's smiling, she's holding onto the necklace Hojo had given her.

She looks down at it, and then back at us—or more just Inuyasha—and undoes the clasp of it. She takes the charm of a man, one of three people, off of the necklace and throws it on the ground.

I look straight at her.

I'm completely shocked that she threw it away just like that. Not that I care. That necklace was a symbol of our family—a family that, as far as I was concerned, had died with our coming here. My mistake was ever leaving this place. And I wasn't about to make that mistake again. We'd go back to get necessary items and then leave for good.

I'm glad she was taking it well.

I'm thrown from my thoughts when Kaede stands up and takes Sango's hand to lead her outside. She wants to leave us alone, I realized, and I smiled briefly at the old woman's kindness. But even so, neither of us speak for a while. We only look at each other, though, for the first time since my return, not in the eyes.

I'm looking for the first time to see how much, if at all, he had changed and I suppose he's doing the same.

His hair is just a little bit longer and he looks older. Not ten years older, but more. His face is that of someone who has almost given up on life and I wonder for a second if it was because of me, and also, if it will disappear with time.

His expression has changed as well, aside from the sadness. He seems less reckless and temperamental than before. It is almost as if his personality has completely flip-flopped.

I also notice that he still has the beads around his neck. I guess I had forgotten to take them off. Though I'm surprised he hasn't said anything about them to me. I reach up to take them off, but he grabs my hand as it touched them.

"Don't." He said. "You might need them."

"For what? You're not like you were then. Or you don't seem like it. You've changed, haven't you?"

"Possibly, but it was because you were gone. I might change back, unless you leave again."

"Do you want that? For me to leave, I mean."

"No! Of course not. The whole reason I'm like this is because I haven't done anything but sulk around for ten years. It's been like the tree all over again, though I've been alive through it all. I can't stand to live like this anymore."

I look at his face fully now, and I see the pain behind his smile for the first time since I got here. I can't help but hug him again. I know I've been doing that a lot, and maybe it's getting a little old and sappy, but it's the only thing I can think of to do.

"Which way do you like better?" he asks after a while and I can tell he really wants to know. I know he'll do whatever it takes to become or stay the way I want him.

"I fell in love with the old Inuyasha," I say, "but either one is perfect to me." He smiles and somehow I know what he's thinking. He'll let himself stay the way he is and if he changes back, he'll let it be. I'm sure, aggressive or not, he'll protect me and probably still argue with me.

To be honest, that's what I missed the most. It seems silly when I think about some of the things we fought over, but they always had a way of bringing us back together again. I do hope he changes back, but one part of loving someone is not caring who they are or how they act. They're always perfect in the eyes of those who love them. And I swore a long time ago that I'd love him always—no matter what he said, or what he did, or who he was, or what he used the jewel for. Temperamental half demon or not, he's still Inuyasha.

"Thank you." He says. He's not looking at me anymore, and I can't figure out what he meant by it. "For understanding." I look up at him; his face is somewhat relieved.

"When have I ever not understood you?" I ask.

"You care about me, despite what I am."

"What you are shouldn't make a difference to anybody, especially not to you or me."

"But it does to most people."

"But not to the people who matter." I lean up to kiss his cheek, but his head turns and my lips catch his mouth instead. It doesn't matter, though. It wasn't a very long kiss—a few seconds after it started, Inuyasha's ears perked up and he pulled away.

"Damnit! Not now!" He stands up and jumps in front of me.

"What is it?" I ask, my mind immediately rushes to Kaugra or some other of Naraku's servants who may have survived the battle. Right after I begin to expect the worst, however, Koga enters the hut quickly with Hakakku and Ginta just behind him. He looks straight at Inuyasha and then at me and before I know it, he's taken his normal stance, complete with my hands clasped together in his.

"Kagome! You finally came back. What'd this dimwitted mutt do to make you leave for that long? And why did I smell your blood a few days ago? Curse these stupid legs; they're worthless without my shards…"

Inuyasha had started growling when he took my hands, but after the comment about him being at fault…I could tell he's ready to strike. It was surprising he hadn't already.

"Well, first, Inuyasha didn't do anything. I thought he did until three days ago, but he didn't. I was just upset at myself." Well, it was the half-truth, right? "And my bleeding was the reason I came back here, so please don't blame Inuyasha for it. My husband sorta went crazy so I came here to get away from him."

"Husband? You're taken for good?"

"Well, not for the past few days—or at least not to Hojo."

"This Hobo guy hurt you? Where is he, I'll make him pay!"

"Not if I do first!" Inuyasha _did_ jump in front of me now. "And you can't get to him. Only Kagome and I can." Well, I guess the old Inuyasha's back—at least for now, anyway. Ah, just like old times…what am I saying? I sound like some old man! Hmmm…maybe I should break them up now, although it is kind of nice to be living this again.

"All right, all right, come on you two, can't you just get along? Geez, I've been gone for _ten years_ and you _still_ haven't worked out your differences!" I literally had to push them away from each other. I think about 'sitting' Inuyasha, but that wouldn't be too nice; he _is_ just trying to protect me after all. Plus, then Koga wouldn't waste any time hurting him.

Koga just looks at me. "You're still sticking up for him! Why do you do that, huh? When will you figure out that he's not good enough for you? He'll end up just like that other guy and you know it! How many guys do you have to go through before you realize who really loves you?"

"Koga, please." I'm trying to figure out what I can say so I don't hurt him too badly, but Inuyasha is practically steaming with anger and I can't hold him for much longer.

"Koga, I know who loves me. I know three people who did and two who still do. I wish I could do something to where I could love both of you, but I can't. Inuyasha is good enough for me. He's strong, and he'll never turn on me like Hojo did and I know it. And that one marriage was a mistake. It was stupid and reckless, but it wasn't because I loved him. Not that I expected he'd do this, but the fact is that neither of you two would ever do that, I know. I'm sorry, Koga, but I love Inuyasha, and I think you've known that for a while—or for ten years. I promise you there's someone better out there for you. Please understand that I can't force my heart to love someone it doesn't. I already tried it and I could barely live with my decision. I'm sorry."

That was the worst thing I'd ever had to tell somebody. I tried to do it nicely, but I knew that it didn't matter. Koga can do one of two things now. He can walk away and accept it, or he can fight Inuyasha. I can't believe the look on his face, and I suddenly feel a whole lot worse than I had a few seconds ago. I know what it felt like to have a broken heart and it's not fun.

I can't hold back the tears that come next. His face holds two different sides of him. One is so broken it _can't_ cry, if it had wanted to. The other is a murderous glare pointed straight at Inuyasha. I know what's coming before it happens—Koga jumps forward, ready to strike the hanyou in front of him.

A/N: another cliffie! Well, semi-cliffie anyway…

Sorry if my complaining about everything, but if any of you have ever tried being creative while you feel like shit, well, you should know it doesn't work too well…

I'll maybe update again later today, but if not, talk to ya tomorrow!


	8. Chapter 6: The World

Forget Me Not

A/N: Ok, I'm feeling semi-better. The pain has passes from my throat to my stomach, but I can deal with that easier. And I found that if I stand up, my nose doesn't run quite as much so I'm standing while I'm typing this! And since I feel better, I think I'll mess with chappie 7 and at least start chappie 8 tonight!

**EDIT** (8/5/08): In this chapter, I rediscovered a BIG problem with the storyline. And unfortunately, it remains the same. And I realized it before, cuz I put it in my a/n. this chapter skips about 12 hours from out of nowhere. So yea, I say use your imagination again, cuz I don't feel like fixing it. The chapter changes completely if it doesn't happen, and I'm not gonna rewrite the whole thing, seeing as this is just an edit. This chapter had a lot of jumping tenses too. I hope I got them all, but if you notice something that doesn't seem quite right, please let me know.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha. He belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, Kagome, and VIZ and everyone else he belongs to and not me. The song "The World" is sung by Yuki Kajiura and can be heard in _.Hack/Sign_.

_**You are here alone again**_

_**In your sweet insanity**_

_**All too calm, you hide yourself from reality**_

_**Do you call it solitude? Do you call it liberty?**_

_**When all the world turns away to leave you lonely**_

_**The fields are filled with desires**_

_**All voices crying for freedom**_

_**But all in vain they will fade away**_

_**There's only you to answer you, forever**_

_**In blinded mind you are singing**_

_**A glorious hallelujah**_

_**The distant flutter of angels**_

_**They're all too far, too far to reach for you**_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 6

Koga jumps forward, ready to strike the _hanyou_ in front of him, but Inuyasha is too quick. They fight for what seems like hours, though neither of them make a scratch on their opponent.

It's not long after that, though, that Sango comes through the flap of Kaede's hut, closely followed by the elderly _miko_. I can't believe they're fighting inside, but Sango was on my mind more. I rush over to her and stand in front of her so she can't get any closer.

"Why is everybody fighting, Mommy? First Daddy and now Inuyasha and that other guy? Who is he, anyway?"

"They're fighting because I chose Inuyasha over him. His name is Koga. You remember the wolf demon tribe's leader."

"Oh, you mean that guy who liked you but you liked Inuyasha?"

"Right. I just now told him. I didn't have the heart to so long ago, but he's gone insane with grief."

Just then, I notice that the sun had started to set (EDIT: wow, a short day, huh?). At first, I don't pay much attention to it. But when Inuyasha takes a glance at the sky, he seems upset. Like something bad will come of it.

"Shit!" he screams, though he doesn't stop fighting.

Kaede turns to me just then. "Kagome, it's tonight."

"WHAT?" oh _kami_, not now! I look up at the sky and sure enough, the sky turns darker, yet there is no moonlight to light the village.

"What's happening, Mommy?" Sango is scared now for the first time since she's come inside.

"You'll see…soon." Why on earth couldn't Koga have picked tomorrow to show up? Or better yet, why hadn't I kept my big mouth shut? No sooner did that thought leave my mind, Inuyasha's hair turns black and his ears disappear. He still has his claws though, thankfully, but not for long.

Koga seems to have discovered that his enemy has reached a weak point and jumps into the air, claws ready to strike soon. I can't take it anymore. This has gone too far.

"Stay here." I say to Sango quickly as I run forward. Kami, I hope I'm quick enough. I jump in front of Inuyasha just before Koga's claws were able to go straight through the now completely human hanyou. They cut through my side instead, though only for an instant before Koga realizes what he's done. I know it's not a bad injury, or not as bad as some anyway, though it still hurts worse than anything I've ever felt. Both Inuyasha and Koga were at my side in seconds, neither one caring that they'd just been fighting two seconds ago.

Inuyasha is beside me first and he picks me up just as easily as he would have if he were a _hanyou_. He has a look of shock in his eyes. "Why'd you do that? Why didn't you stay away?"

The words echo in my mind and I wonder whether or not he realizes that he said the same thing ten years ago. But this time, there is a slightly different answer.

"Because you would have died if I hadn't, and it would have been my fault. And besides, Koga wouldn't attack me. It's not that bad, really."

"How could you have been so sure? And how would it have been your fault?"

"He wouldn't kill me because the reason he wants to kill you is so he can take me. If he kills me, I can't go with him. And it's my fault because I made him mad to begin with."

Koga is just standing off to the side, apparently not sure whether he should apologize, leave, or just stand there. The anger has been knocked out of him and he won't start fighting again, or at least not tonight. He then seems to realize something, which I figure was about either how much Inuyasha really did care about me or out of embarrassment of what he had done. But he's gone for now, and human Inuyasha is safe.

Inuyasha looks at Kaede as if trying to tell her something, and she seems to understand. She grabs Sango's hand and left the hut which was surprisingly still standing.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asks once he was sure they had gone.

"Yes, alright? I'm fine, it's just a scratch compared to most things. And besides, it was worth it."

"But _I'm _supposed to protect _you_! Not the other way around. I'm in my human form for two seconds and you already get hurt! Why is it that I'm always so weak?"

"Inuyasha, how many times do we have to tell you that _you're not weak_? It has nothing to do with you, ok? And you can't always expect to protect me, but when you do, you're perfect at it. And besides, I'm fine—I promise."

"I know what you're thinking. I'm not weak, at least in my other form, but as soon as I turn into this stupid body I change. How can you stand being with me when I can't even save you from Koga?"

"None of your sides are weak, ok? And I love being with you. It has nothing to do with your strength, or that you save me every time. It's that you always _try_ to save me. You don't just stand back and say you can't. You always try. You also care about me and love me. Koga doesn't even come into the picture here. No matter what you are, human, _hanyou_, or _youkai_, you always care, and you never turn on me. I can't believe how helpless you think you really are." I couldn't take it anymore. I buried my head in his _haiori_ and cried.

"You're so strong." I whisper as his arms wrap around me, as if telling me I'm right. They feel strong and comforting around me. "I can't believe you don't see how much you mean to me, human or not. I mean, I realize that you've grown up hearing the awful things people say about you, but I thought you could figure out that the ones who don't care what you are or how strong you are, are the ones who really matter."

He suddenly pulls away and holds my chin to where I'm looking him straight in the eyes.

"Do you love me? I mean, really love me?"

I'm shocked at this, but I don't look away or even question him. I look at him through my teary eyes trying to show him without telling, but I speak anyway.

"Yes. I really do love you. I can't believe you'd doubt that."

He smiles then. "So do I."

And we lean in to kiss each other with all the passion and love that has been stored for so long inside our hearts.

A/N: YAY! Another chappie done! Horay for reviewers who motivate me! And horay for days at school that don't completely suck in all ways possible! We're now done charting the final song in and now we only have to 'clean' it! YAY!

Now, the first thing I noticed in this/the last chappie is that I somehow went from about 8AM to dark in about a paragraph, seeing as how Koga showed up not too long after Kags woke up. Now…how did this happen? How should I know? It just did! Use your imagination cuz I sure can't with this little problem…the best thing I could come up with is that they fought for that long, which really doesn't make all that much sense, seeing as how no battle in any eppie/fic I've seen has EVER been about 12 hrs long…I suppose it could happen, but it's just really boring. So yeah, that's why.

YAY!! I now have 29 reviews on this story which is more than Phantom and I have over 1000 hits!! Yay for all of you readers! This makes my day. Now, for the 970 of you who don't review, you need to cuz it'd make me a lot happier. Think! I could've had over 1000 reviews if all of you had reviewed! Wow, that makes me so happy. Please review everyone, especially if you like it cuz it makes me want to update faster and more. And for those who don't, still review! That's what reviews are for is to say what you think. If you don't like it, please say so cuz then I can change it and make it better. Flames are welcome, even though if you plan on flaming, I don't see why you would have read this far…

Now that I have that somewhat fixed up, I'll say R&R and then Goodbye cuz I really have nothing left to say.

So…R&R and goodbye 'till tomorrow! -

Glossary:

Hanyou: half demon

Youkai: full demon

Haiori: Inuyasha's outfit


	9. Chapter 7: It's Not Just Make Beleive

A/N: Hi

A/N: Hi! Well, I don't know why I'm writing an a/n cuz I really have nothing to say. Except that this chappie, because my mind has no more fluff at the time being for I&K at the moment and I don't know how to bring any characters in from Kag's pov from this scene, we'll be journeying a long way from Kaede's village…to a nice, not to mention large, castle in the Western Lands. Since I love fluff so much, especially with sess/rin, well they're gonna be a part of it just cuz I haven't really been able to in fics past. And cuz, well, they rock! (and rin is soooo the best character ever!) so yeah. Anywho…

**EDIT** (8/5/08): This chapter was really easy to edit…wow. I didn't have to do hardly anything to it! Just for the record, this chapter used to be a lot longer, but Word deleted some of it and when I posted it, it was only half there! I can't remember what I had written after it, but I know there was a lot more. Anyways, I hope it doesn't make the story seem incomplete at a later date, but I don't think it should.  
The only thing I really changed in here was how long ago Rin had reached "womanhood". When I wrote this the first time, I was thinking (since she's 19 in here) that she would be sixteen, which was probably around the age most girls were getting married off. However, upon reading it again I realized that it should probably be referring to something else, so I changed it to six years (so she would have been 13) instead.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha. He belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kagome. I also don't own the song "It's Not Just Make Believe" by Kari Kimmel (it's too cute of a song for Rin, huh? :D)

_**It started out like just another ordinary day,**_

_**Then suddenly my life is different in every way.**_

_**The sun is brighter and my happiness is here to say.**_

_**Its like I'm dreamin'**_

_**Thank you for showin' me that true love doesn't hurt when you fall**_

_**You got me glowin'...**_

_**I'm Cinderella at the ball,**_

_**I'm Alice growin' ten feet tall.**_

_**Its not just make believe...**_

_**Here comes the prince's kiss,**_

_**I'm positive the slipper fits.**_

_**Its not just make believe...**_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 6

_NOTE: Let's take a little break from Inuyasha and Kagome for a while and see what dear Fluffy is up to, hmm? Well, that pretty much takes us out of Kagome's POV again, so bear with me here. This is Sesshy we're talking about, people, I think we can make room for a few chappies of him... and don't worry, this I'm not overlooking the plot and there is a point to all of my Sesshy chappies._

News of Kagome's arrival spread quickly across the lands. In just a couple of days, there was not a demon in all of Japan who had not heard something about her. But, even though the Jewel was still in their possession, many demons left the _hanyou_ and _miko_ alone for the time being. As power-hungry as they were, they were smart enough to know which battles they'd already lost. All except for one...the all-powerful dog demon lord of the Western lands himself, Sesshomaru.

Now, we all know and understand that Sesshy thinks himself to be superior to everyone, including his half-breed brother. But the truth was, the lord had been rather bored these past few years. There had been nothing of excitement in his lands--no wars, no demons, everything pretty much just left him alone and he started to wonder if he was really turning into his mighty and terrible father, or if he just lacked the superior intellect and strength he once thought he had.

All in all, he began to despise his younger half-brother more and longed to see Inuyasha dead by his hand. He couldn't, however, figure out why. The lord had sworn to Rin on the night after the battle that he would make peace with his brother, and had, at that time, every intention of doing so...or at least forgetting about the sword and stop trying to kill him.

Not like he'd talked to Inuyasha since that battle. The _hanyou_ had been too depressed and shocked to take any more 'surprises'. But now...word around the castle was that his brother's human companion had returned and he wondered if now might be a good time to talk with the _hanyou_. He certainly seemed to be back to his old self.

The great lord had made up his mind, and found nothing else to do but let his thoughts wander. Everything had changed in the past ten years...well, mostly everything. Jaken still followed him everywhere, but the small imp was becoming old and thankfully less talkative.

And Rin, well, Rin was now nineteen and a beauty that could have rivaled even that of the great Lady Izayoi. She'd stayed loyal to the lord all of these years and even being six years past 'womanhood', refused to leave the castle. Nor would she marry any of the thousands of suitors who came to the castle daily. She was quite popular among the humans, and despite her heritage, was being treated as though she were a queen. Sesshomaru had ordered the servants to treat her as such, but it seemed that they did it more out of free will than order. She called herself his servant and would argue every time he informed her that it was not so.

She was still Rin, however, and she still loved to talk to anyone who would listen. Actually, she'd become like his 'voice of reason' so to speak. She was the peacemaker and the one who had, over the years, taught him that violence was not the answer to everything. She was like his advisor...yet she was more. The great Lord Sesshomaru, who had once despised humans, was now proud to call one his best friend and the most important person in his life. (A/N: awwwww : swoons and faints: )Somehow, though, this seemed strange. His feelings for her grew with each day as he wondered more and more if he was falling in love with the once-orphaned princess who stood before him more than anyone else...who guided him, comforted him, and taught him how to open his heart.

And it was times like these that he would try to push the absurd thought from his mind. 'Do you wish to become that much like father?' he would often ask himself. 'To spend every moment of every day wondering weather or not your loved ones are safe?' And he always seemed to be able to convince himself of that, though it wouldn't be long before his dream-like fantasy would return and he would begin to wonder how she felt towards him...

88888888

Rin practically threw herself down on her bed in her chamber. It was days like these that she wished she were not so beautiful (EDIT: wow, doesn't that sound conceited? Ah well…). Every day, young men of all standards would visit the castle to ask for her hand in marriage, yet every day she refused all of the proposals. She sometimes wished that she could scream to the world what she told every man who came to her, "I have a duty to serve my Lord Sesshomaru. I cannot leave." Maybe then, the world would treat her like a regular girl again.

She often felt guilty, however, for her reply was only half of the truth. She had heard Lord Sesshomaru say time and time again that she was not his servant. She sometimes thought that to be true, but she owed her life to him, and she would gladly give it. To be completely honest, however, she stayed for more than just that.

Several times since her sixteenth birthday the lord had asked her if she would like to leave the castle. He would inform her yet again that, although he enjoyed her company, she was not his servant and could leave any time she wished. Yet she still hadn't...and never will.

Strange as it may seem, the young girl found herself slowly falling in love her lord Sesshomaru. She couldn't explain it, and mostly wished she didn't for they were too different. Except for her, he had always hated humans. Though she often asked herself, 'why her?' she never really made the connection. As smart as she was, young Rin would ponder this question day and night, though she knew that she would never find the answer herself.

"Oh Kiri," she said referring to a small 'ghost-like' demon she had found not too long ago. The young woman lay down on her bed and sighted heavily. "If only my life were as simple as some."

88888888

Early the next morning, Sesshomaru made his was to Rin's half of the castle to inform her of his intentions and his journey. Actually, this was unnecessary for all he had to do was leave word for her with Jaken. However, the lord somewhat hoped that she would insist on coming along with him.

Not long after, he found himself standing outside a large door made of the finest cedar wood in all of the western lands. He softly rapped on the door. "Rin?"

He suddenly heard a squeaky little voice. "Rin-Rin, Rin-Rin." He thought of the small spirit demon he had allowed Rin to keep as a little pet/companion. It was rather cute, and often very helpful, despite being nearly transparent. To make her happy, he'd even transferred a little blue moon, much like his, to the creature's forehead to stigmatize the fact that it belonged to her.

Not two seconds after the words were spoken, the door opened framing the young woman who was dressed in some of her finer robes. She curtsied quickly before him.

"Rin, how many times must I tell you that you don't have to do that? You are my guest, not a servant."

"But..."

"But nothing. I've merely come to inform you that I am departing for the village where Inuyasha stays as quickly as possible. It has come to my attention that the priestess has returned and he's in a rather good mood."

Her eyes brightened immediately. "So you'll make peace, then, Milord?"

"Well, I do hope so. I have never broken my word before and I don't plan on starting now." He grinned. (A/N: Wow, he's changed a lot. Lord Fluffykins grinning?) "But more to the point, I was wondering if you would like to come along, like old times?"

Her face was shining before he finished the sentence. She felt like screaming out something like 'YES!' or, 'Would I?' but decided she must contain herself. "Sure...that is, if you want me to, Milord."

"Who else would I want to come? But if you do..." He smirked, "I want you to act like you're a companion and not a servant."

"But..."

"Do I have to order you?"

"...no..._demo_…"

"Rin, you are not a servant. You never were and you never will be. I didn't revive you because I wanted another Jaken. You attempted to help me, so I returned the favor and nothing more. And you are most definitely NOT anywhere beneath me. As far as I, and everyone else, am concerned, you're a princess."

Her eyes were wide with this statement. He'd never said anything like that before. She, of course, had figured this was true for quite some time, but to hear him say it out loud made it seem real. "Well, if you want me to this badly, I guess I can try and act more like a companion M'...I mean, Lord Sesshomaru."

He smiled and, without thinking, took her hand in his. This startled her, but she let him, enjoying the short and rare feeling of her hand in his as he silently led her to the servants' quarters to order a bag to be packed for her.

A/N: Well, that's it. A 'lil sess/rin in it, but not all that much yet. Just to say, the next chappie I have already begun construction on and should have it done tonight. It will be back in Kag's POV. Ok? Ok.

In case anyone is confused and since I have nowhere to put this in future chappies: Kiri is a spirit demon that Rin found some day she was out and practically begged Sesshy to let her keep it. Not being able to resist her puppy face, he let her and was really nice and gave it a little moon on his forehead so that if he ever got lost, people would know where he came from. Think of it as a sort of collar since he's see-through and therefore can't wear a real collar. He looks like a floating head with wings, really. I can't describe the pic of him I drew, so use your imagination. (if you've seen the 2nd season of Digimon, think Upamon only he's transparent and his head is more diamond shaped than round. The top part of the diamond is spiky 'hair') And just for the record, _Kiri_ means mist cuz I was too lazy to find out what 'ghost' or 'spirit' was.

Well, I don't really have too much else to say… so, see ya next chappie! –

Glossary:

Demo: but


	10. Chapter 8: I Wanna Mom That

Forget Me Not

A/N: I'm sorry I'm updating this rather late. I had a football game and then since there's an antique car show in town, I only had to wait in traffic for an hour! To top it off, my allergies are now at their worst part, the hurting chest when I cough. And I practically suffocated during our show cuz it was so hot in those frickin uniforms.

**EDIT** (8/8/08): Well, if it was one thing I wanted to do in this chapter, it was make Sango seem less mature. Up until now, I've been playing with her as an innocent, cute kind of character, and in this chapter it's like BAM! Mature six year old! But, as I read through it, I realized that it was more Kagome treating her maturely than Sango actually acting mature. So I dunno. Kagome's monologue remains the same, just because I had to pull all of that info out at some point in time, but I changed a bit of Sango's vocab to being more "six year old-ish". I also tried to put a bit more emphasis on Kaede having a "talk" with her about the two main relationships in the story. I kinda kept at that to make it seem a bit more…comical? I dunno, but it seemed to add a bit more explanation as to why Sango understood the majority of what Kagome was saying. Most people who reviewed, however, seemed to like Mature!Sango, so I didn't change her too much.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha. Or the song "I Want a Mom That Will Last Forever" from the Rugrats movie 2, sung by Cyndi Lauper .

_**I want a mom that'll take my hand**_

_**And make me feel like a holiday**_

_**A mom to tuck me in at night**_

_**and chase the monsters away**_

_**I want a mom that'll read me stories**_

_**And sing a lullaby**_

_**And if I have a bad dream to hold me when I cry**_

_**I want a mom that will last forever**_

_**I want a mom to make it all better**_

_**I want a mom that will last forever**_

_**I want a mom that will love me whenever, forever**_

_**When she says to me, she will always be there**_

_**To watch and protect me I don't have to be scared**_

_**Oh, and when she says to me I will always love you**_

_**I won't need to worry 'cause I know that it's true**_

_**I want a mom when I get lonely**_

_**Who will take the time to play**_

_**A mom who can be a friend and a rainbow when it's gray**_

_**I want a mom to read me stories**_

_**And sing a lullaby**_

_**And if I have a bad dream, to hold me when I cry**_

_**Oh,**_

_**I want a mom that will last forever**_

_**I want a mom to make it all better**_

_**I want a mom that will last forever**_

_**I want a mom that will love me whatever, forever**_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 8

As I stir from my peaceful sleep, I again notice that I am in my _hanyou_'s arms. He holds me tightly and I can tell he is awake and watching me. He probably knows I'm awake, too, I realize. He can tell everything with his enhanced senses—sometimes, so much it scares me. My breathing pattern changes as I wake, and he knows it immediately.

I also imagine that, once again, Sango is looking on with her wide, happy eyes. Sometimes I wonder if she even understands what's happening.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm upset over her happiness. I'm happy as well, now that I'm back where I want to be.

But how could a girl not love her father?

No matter what he does, she will always be connected to him. Yet she seems to not mind at all that just a few days ago, Hojo almost tried to kill her. Maybe she is just excited about living in a 'storybook' world with people who care about her. Perhaps it is just like an adventure to her as she tries to figure out what other little details I may have left out of her stories.

Reluctantly, I open my eyes, slowly adjusting to the light.

I see, as expected, a pair of now-golden eyes looking down at me and another pair of shining blue eyes staring at me and Inuyasha. I really couldn't believe the look in her eyes.

As I figured, they show happiness, but there is also a certain sadness to them. Maybe she _had_ been injured by the 'incident'. Either way, I know she'll have to face Hojo again very soon…and also that Inuyasha will not hesitate to kill him.

I'll have to go back to my time sooner or later, though. I wanna tell Mama and Sota the happy news, and I think I owe Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi an explanation they should have gotten years ago. Not to mention both Sango and I need some 'necessities'. Like clothing, for example. Sango can't go around in that nightshirt much longer—it's already stained and dirty…even a little torn. And it's not like I feel entirely comfortable in Kikyo's old clothes.

"Good morning," I yawn as if I'd been here these past ten years. My optimistic attitude from years past seems to have returned. And it's all because I'm here with Inuyasha again. And I won't ever make a stupid mistake like that again.

I do still have one thing I've been wondering about, though.

"Ummm, Inuyasha?"

"Yea?"

" What did you wind up using the jewel for?"

I had recently started wondering why he didn't wish for me to come back.

"I haven't used it yet," he states, seemingly rather surprised that I hadn't sensed it. He pulls out the small pink ball from some hidden spot of his _haiori_. (A/N: With all of those knots and folds, you have to wonder how much he can hold there…)

"Well, then, what do you plan on using it for?"

"I'm not really sure. Sooner or later I knew I'd have to use it, but I just couldn't figure out what. And besides, you're the protector. Shouldn't you make a wish?"

"I have nothing else I want besides this. And I gave it to you. That is why we went through all of that trouble, right? I mean, we didn't kill Naraku and finish the jewel just so you could give it to me, did we? You had a wish, and even though you changed your mind, it's your jewel." I wonder for a moment what he could use it for. Did he not say the only thing he wanted was for me to be back?

"But I couldn't have done it without you. You sensed the shards and now it's yours. I have no wishes anymore. All I wanted was for you to be by my side again and now you are. What more could I ask for?"

I smile and quickly kiss his lips. A split second later, however, I realize that Sango is still watching us. But she's not upset, or confused, or even frightened. She's happy, and the smile she had before turned into a huge grin before my eyes, all trace of sadness disappearing.

I was happy for her. I know first-hand what it's like to lose a loved one, and the fact that she's not upset that I never want to see her father again makes me very happy. She would hopefully never have to go through the pain and suffering that comes from loving another. And hopefully she will never find out that the best thing that could ever happen to you could also be the worst.

88888888

I slowly sit down on the ground near the hot spring after re-dressing myself. Since I returned to the _Sengoku Jidai_, I have been reluctant to leave Inuyasha's side. But after almost a week of sitting in Kaede's hut…I just had to take a bath!

My wound was cleaned last night, but Kikyo's old clothes were still covered in blood, and my hair is matted from not having showered in days.

And Inuyasha, being the decent man I love, refused to join me. Ok, so it's not like I asked him to, but he still didn't want to come.

Just then, I hear a rustle in the bushes. I sense that whoever it is is human, though, so I don't bother to grab my bow. My skills may be a bit rusty, but I can still sense auras and shoot arrows almost as well as I used to be able to, or at least well enough to protect myself until Inuyasha shows up.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding when I see Sango walk out of the bushes. I guess Inuyasha told her where I was. But did he just let her go off on her own? No, he had been here not too long ago. He's gone now, probably thought I was still bathing. But he'd allowed Sango the 'right' to see me. I laugh inwardly at this.

"Mama?" She looks sad once again and I know what she wants before she asks. "Are we ever going back?"

I sigh. "I suppose we will, but not for long. Inuyasha won't approve of us going at all. I need to tell Grandma and Uncle Sota where I am and I have some friends who are long overdue for a fill-in. We won't be staying though, Sango. We'll go home for necessities, but we'll come right back. You'll have to say good-bye to Daddy though, I'm afraid. I'm not even sure if Inuyasha will let him live without a fight. And to tell you the truth, I wouldn't really mind all that much…just as long as he doesn't kill him.

"I'm sorry, Sango, I know he's your father, and nothing can ever truly change that. But as much as I love you, I can't say the same for Daddy. I shouldn't have even left here, but I did. In some ways I'm glad. If I hadn't, I'd have gotten no where with Inuyasha and I wouldn't have you right here with me. But in other ways I see mistakes and failures.

"I know you don't understand now, but someday, you'll fall in love. And you'll know it's true from the moment you realize it. Don't ever settle for someone you don't love. It'll just wind up hurting you in the end. You'll understand someday that being in love is one of the best things that can happen to you. You'll feel as if you'll do anything for that person and he should for you, as well. I know it's difficult to lose a father; to be told that he wasn't 'the one'; and to have a broken heart. I've felt all of those once, from my father, to Uncle Sota's father, to Inuyasha. And it's not fun in the least. I often hoped that you'd never have to go through with that pain, but it's unavoidable.

"I'm sorry, Sango, I truly am. I just wish it wasn't this way." I stand up to take her back with me, but she tugs on my sleeve like she always does when she wants my attention.

"Mommy, what's true love? Like, real true love. Aren't you supposed to love the person you marry? Why would you marry someone that you didn't love when you could have someone you did?"

My eyes open wide. Ok, this is not my daughter! Since when was she so…mature? For God's sake, SHE'S SIX!! She's not supposed to be this 'deep' yet! Ah well, here it goes… "Sango, I think it's time you heard the real ending to those stories.

"You see, Sango, true love isn't something you can explain with words. You just recognize it when you feel it. To put it as simple as I can, it's looking at someone and knowing they're the one you'll spend your life with; you can look in that person's eyes and see everything—every emotion and secret and truth; and it's loving that person so much, you can't put your feelings into words. This must sound like a jumbled mess right now, but some day you'll understand."

I sigh and sit down…this could take a while.

"And yes you are supposed to love the person you marry. I did love your father, just not the way I should have. He wasn't 'the one' for me and I'm guessing he just now figured that out.

"I knew from the moment I saw Inuyasha that he was special and I knew that if he'd allow it, I'd stay here for him. But along the way, we came across little bumps in the road. Inuyasha's ex-girlfriend, Kikyo, who he still loved, but who wanted nothing more than to live with him in the underworld was one of those "bumps". And the ever-popular fact that I was pretty much useless except for spotting the jewel shards was always there. Back then, he really did seem to hate me. And even though I hoped he would change, he never mentioned giving up his true wish, or choosing me over Kikyo, or even seeing me as more than a 'jewel detector'.

"Looking back, he did show he loved me…I was just too blind to see it. I left him, never to return because of these things. I would not be in his way any longer.

"I left him that day we defeated Naraku, telling myself how much I hated him, despite the fact that I knew it wasn't true. I wanted to forget everything and to live a normal life like I should have in the first place. But when I returned home with no way back, I realized that our world was no longer my home. I belonged here, with Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and everyone else. But I was supposedly left with no way back.

"You remember me telling you that the well only worked while I had the jewel in my possession. Well, after the battle, I gave the jewel to Inuyasha, believing he still wanted to become a full demon. And then I fled, not wanting to see him corrupt his soul and drive himself to insanity as well as suicide as I knew his wish would cause this. I didn't want to be forced home by him.

"Every day that I sat by the well, every day I was in the tree or holing my locket or thinking of him, I was hoping that my thoughts had been incorrect—that he would have used the jewel for something better. I knew he could come to our time if he wanted to, and I hoped every day that he would come and take me away. I could finally show you the wonders of a storybook come true and I could be back with my TRUE love. But he never came. Not once. I often hated myself for having so much hope. I figured after a few months that he would not come, but my already-broken heart refused to mend so easily. I could not kill the hope that lived within me.

"I really thought he'd killed himself already by the time I agreed to marry your father, thinking stupidly, as always, that I could push away the pain and heartache I'd felt for years, but I couldn't. With each passing day, I grew more depressed and rather than forgetting, I unintentionally forced myself to remember. I didn't know that I could return, and I didn't want to come back on my free will unless he came for me. I couldn't stand it if he didn't recognize me and killed me, leaving you and Hojo without an explanation, forever to worry if I was safe when you couldn't find my body.

"But that night, I just couldn't stand it anymore. I don't know why I even got the idea. I only wanted you to be safe, but the only place we'd be truly safe from him was here. My mind screamed that it wouldn't work—that even if we, by some miracle, managed to force our way through, that meant Hojo probably could as well. It was only a matter of time before he tried to discover the mystery about it, that is, if we hadn't been killed by a demon first.

"I was weak and couldn't protect you, and so I did the only thing my jumbled brain could think of to do at that moment—call for help. I wanted so badly to see Inuyasha's face again, so I called out of instinct. I knew he'd save me if he was able to, but the disbelieving part said that his demon form would slaughter us if he was called. So I called for the rest as well, knowing full well they wouldn't be there. Life for them had most likely gone on normally for them after I left. They would have mourned for a few days and then gone their separate way, now that the jewel was complete."

I had started crying again without even noticing. I don't know why, seeing as how every little problem I'd faced these past thirteen years had been solved.

I notice Sango looking on with awe, as if she'd never heard anything more tragic in her life—which, come to think of it, she probably hadn't. I can't believe I said all of that to my six year old daughter who just asked me some of the most difficult questions I'll ever have to answer for her.

"I knew I shouldn't have stayed with your father, Sango, but before you were born, I didn't have anything to return to. And after I had you, I couldn't leave you alone with him. The worst thing is growing up without a parent—trust me, I know—and I couldn't let you live like I had. You needed someone to teach you that when you're staring love in the eye, you can't blink or turn away—it'll always come back haunt you in the end. I didn't want you to make the same mistakes I had, especially if your destiny was to find the magic of the well as I had. I knew it was wrong, but I had no choice.

"If you ever love someone who is just like how Inuyasha used to be, it'll be tough on you too. But please don't run away from it. If you know you love them, do everything you can to stay with him forever."

I can't think of anything else to say. I'd just poured out my soul to my daughter who probably didn't understand a word of it. She's too young and it probably confused her. I note that I should give her the 'speech' that I just let out when she becomes a teenager (probably along with some other talks). She'll hear the story often, but the part about never giving up on true love when you know you've found it she won't understand until she knows the joy of having true love in the first place.

I laugh through my tears. "I bet you didn't understand much of that logic yet, huh?"

"Actually, I understand the point. I don't get everything yet, but enough to know the moral of your story."

"Sango, what made you bring this up? Have I been so caught up in my misery that I didn't realize how insightful my little girl could be?"

"I just wanted to know why you love Inuyasha so much, but you stayed with Daddy for so long. And I don't know how I learned all this stuff, I just did. It wasn't all that long ago. Maybe it was from talking to Miss Kaede while you were unconscious. She said a lot of stuff about you loving Inuyasha and Miroku loving Sango and how both couples seemed hopeless and now both were resolved. She said a lot of stuff I didn't understand, so she explained it to me."

I can only stare at her, wondering what on earth Kaede had "explained" to her. But suddenly we hear a noise in the bushes yet again. I can somewhat sense it and know that it means no harm. I guess it's Inuyasha, come to get us since we were taking so long. I was right, and no more than two seconds later, he was right beside me.

A/N: Ok, sorry for that really crappy ending, but I couldn't think of anything else unless I made the chappie really long which I don't feel like doing.

And just for the record, I'm still working on you guys' fics. I'm in the middle on Damian 2.0's fic cuz it was newly updated on the site. Also, JonnieBelindaandInuyasha, I'm still working on your longer fic (which is great), but I tried to review the high school one, but it said that your story wasn't part of the archive so I couldn't review. For the record, I think it's worth keeping and will probably be really good. And PonPonPocky, your name doesn't show up when I search. Sorry for all of this and I know I promised. I do intend on reviewing your fics. I've just been so busy lately, I've barely been able to put up these chappies, let alone read stories. But again, tomorrow (well, technically today since it's 1 AM) is Saturday and I'll have loads of time to glue myself to the computer and be anti-social as usual- no matter how bad I feel. I'll read at least two of you guys' stories and write/update at least one chappie, including all review replies.

Well, I'm to tired to go on (I know, I know, it probably seems like I'm trying to throw a pity party for myself, but I'm really not. I just like complaining. Sorry.) so I'll say nighty night and go to sleep so I can get up early(er) and read/write before my grandparents manage to pull me off.)

Midnight-Wolf-314

Glossary:  
Sengoku Jidai: Feudal Era


	11. Chapter 9: All You Wanted

A/N: HI again guys

A/N: hi again guys! Wow, I feel great. Amazing what sleeping in and NOT getting up at 12:30 AM to watch Inuyasha can do to you! And since I feel so great, I'll try to make this a long chappie for everyone who may have thought my last one ended kinda weird. I bet once I put down what I wanted to for the end of last chappie, everything else will come too. Maybe I'll even get sess/rin in here too. -

**EDIT** (8/22/08): Well, this week has been total hell. Sorry I haven't edited, and this chapter probably still has a lot of mistakes in it. If anyone sees any, please let me know in a review or a PM. Mostly in this chapter I just changed the tenses. And I edited a bit of Inuyasha's speech because it sounded way too formal for him. And usually I try to cut down on the author's notes I had in the original story, but these were just too funny, so I left them.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha. He and his friends belong to Rumiko Takahashi-sensei and not me. I also don't own the song "All You Wanted". Michelle Branch sings it.

_**I wanted to be like you**_

_**I wanted everything**_

_**So I tried to be like you and I got swept away**_

_**I didn't know that it was so cold**_

_**And you needed someone to show you the way**_

_**So I took your hand**_

_**And we figured out that when the time comes I'd take you away**_

_**If you want to I can save you**_

_**I can take you away from here**_

_**So lonely inside**_

_**So busy out there**_

_**And all you wanted was somebody who cares**_

Forget Me Not Chapter 9

I wonder for a moment what's wrong. Inuyasha seems to be looking around for something. His ears are moving around like they always used to (back when we were travelling together), trying to sense even the littlest bit of sound that might be out of the ordinary.

"What are you looking for?" I ask. I wonder how much of my conversation with Sango he heard.

"Someone I thought I'd never see again." He says.

He's avoiding the subject. I wonder why. But before I could ask him, I got my answer.

A girl steps out of the bushes on the other side of the river. She has long black hair that reaches all the way down to her hips. She looks to be about twenty, maybe a little younger, and her earthy brown eyes seem kind and happy. She reminds me of someone. I suppose it is possible I know her. After all, she is human and it has been a decade…

But my questions of her identity are answered as another body reveals itself.

I recognize him immediately. If his silver hair and the symbols on his forehead and cheeks don't give him away, the cold glare most certainly does. His gaze however, though still eerily stoic, seems to have changed somewhat. His eyes are softer, but not truly melted yet. I can tell, though, that said feat isn't all that far from happening.

I wonder briefly why Rin is still with him. I know he's always had always had a soft spot for the girl, but have no idea as to why. And she should be nineteen now—plenty old enough to find a husband and leave the lord's side. Yet she has not. And he doesn't seem to be complaining either.

I notice Inuyasha's hand reach towards his sword, and I grab his arm at the last second.

"Wait. If he wanted to kill you, do you think he would wait until I came back to do it? and he wouldn't bring Rin with him. Just find out what he wants. Please?" I smile as he nods. I know he isn't happy about seeing his brother again, but he's willing enough to hear the guy out.

Sesshomaru seems to notice his brother's glare and to realize he'd better hurry up.

"You may not like this, little brother, but you should hear it anyway. Both my advisor," he gestures to Rin, "and myself believe it would be wise to stop our feud. It has been long enough, has it not? I no longer desire the sword, and while I do not particularly like you, I do not despise you. And so what say you?" (A/N: Lordish! Me like!)

Inuyasha's mouth is hanging open. He obviously can't believe what he's just heard come out of his half-brother's mouth. Though I've never actually been told, it has always seemed to me the brothers had been mortal, or maybe not-so-mortal, enemies since Inuyasha was born.

I notice Sango looking at Rin. She seems to want to talk to the girl, no woman, before her, but is obviously too scared of Sesshomaru to even think about trying it. I see Rin look at her, though, and she motions for Sango to join her, mouthing that the lord would not harm her.

"Where did this come from?" Inuyasha finally snaps out of his stupor.

"Rin has been bugging me about it for quite some time. Actually, since the end of the battle with Naraku and she truly realized what was going on between us. I had a talk with her and she convinced me to accept our differences. But I didn't dare approach you these past ten years. Despite what you may think, I'm not an idiot, little brother, and I know when not to get on your bad side, or even show up for that matter."

"So you came here because that girl told you to? And you said she's your advisor? Since when does the (A/N: mocking voice) 'Great Lord Sesshomaru' (A/N: end mocking voice) listen to a human? And why has she not left?"

"I still hate humans, except for Rin. She was kind to me in a way no one else was. Should I have just left her there, dead? She attempted to care for me and so I saved her. She followed on her own. As time went along, these past thirteen years, she started to grow on me. And as for why she has not left, why do you not ask her?"

Both dog demons look over to Rin who is sitting on the ground and talking to Sango as though they'd been friends for years. When she's acknowledged, her head shoots up. To me, she looks mortified, as if the answer was something she wished to keep to herself. But she stands up anyway. Being a woman and also having been in the same predicament, I have a feeling she'll be leaving some of the more 'detailed' parts to herself.

"I wish to stay with my lord, Sesshomaru." Is all she says. Talk about no detail.

"And she seems to be very happy to stay with me. For three years, she's had millions of chances a day to leave, yet she does not. Many men ask for her hand daily, but none ever get the answer the hope for. Not that I mind all that much. Though free of her debt, she is welcome to stay as long as she wishes." I smile at his little speech. I can tell there's something between the dog demon lord and his "advisor". I know how to tell when a girl is in love, and Rin fits every description. She would never leave his side. Though as for how he feels towards her, I can't say.

Inuyasha has a look of suspicion on his face, but I can see just the tiniest bit of happiness in his eyes. I know that, deep down, he's glad his only remaining family is finally accepting him—well, somewhat anyway.

"I guess you're right. If you were serious with your offer, then I accept. But that doesn't mean I like you anymore; I just won't kill you."

"Fine with me, little brother. Now, why don't we take a little walk and have a little brother bonding time?" Inuyasha appears to be frozen in place by that remark, wondering why his brother had changed so much because of one human girl. (A/N: hypocrite) But he nods slowly and follows his brother into the forest with one last look at me.

"We'll talk later."

He mouths the phrase to me as I just barely make out Sesshomaru's voice saying, "Now, what of you?"

Talk later? Maybe he had heard Sango and me. Oh well, I'll worry about that later. I walk over to Sango and Rin who are chatting quietly once again.

"Mama, how many more cool people can I meet? How many other characters will I get to meet?"

I smile a smile that only a mother can give.

"You'll meet plenty of them. And hopefully Sango and Miroku will show up really soon, too." Well, at least she seems to be back to her normal self. I'm still wondering how she became so insightful, but for now, she's normal again.

I see Rin looking at us with a somewhat-longing gaze. And just then, Sango seems to remember Rin's presence.

"Mama, Miss Rin is really nice!" I smile again.

"Yes she is. And she's grown into a lovely young lady as well. It's been a while."

"She's your daughter, Kagome? Why is she not hanyou? Wouldn't Inuyasha's demon blood cause her to be so?"

I look down. "Yes, she's mine, but not Inuyasha's. Has Sesshomaru not told you anything of us these years?"

"No, all he told me was that you had returned. I thought maybe you took a short trip to your world or something."

"A trip yes, but not a short one. After the jewel was completed, I…well I went back home. For good. I thought Inuyasha would become a full demon and I didn't want to see it so I left. I was away for these past ten years thinking I couldn't return since I didn't have the jewel so I waited for him, but he never came. So I got married and had Sango and when my husband came home drunk and nearly killed her, I left for here."

"That's so sad, Kagome."

"Yes, but now everything's pretty much back to normal. I'm free to love Inuyasha as I once did and after gathering a few things from my world, we'll hopefully never return to my world. But what about you? I know you didn't say everything when you answered Inuyasha's question."

She looks shocked. "How…"

"Rin, I'm a woman too. I've been in this predicament before…I know what it feels like." (A/N: in case you want to know what happened to Sango, she's still sitting there trying not to interrupt.)

"Well, ever since I saw the lord in the forest, I felt I had a connection to him. He was injured and alone, as was I. I tried to help him, but then those horrid wolves attacked me. He brought me back, and to repay my debt, I followed him. Every year, I imagined I hear him tell me to leave, yet he never did. After Naraku was killed, we went back to stay at the castle. My lord and the servants are all very nice to me, but I don't know why. I'm his servant as well. He even divided the castle with me; he got a wing as did I.

"When I turned sixteen, everyone in the lands seemed to know. Men came from everywhere, thousands a day, to ask me to marry them. I'd always tell them I had a duty to my lord, but none would get a clue. I think everyone saw me as a princess rather than a servant. Every day I turn more of them down. My lord says I owe him nothing—that I am free to go. And though that may be true, I can't help but stay with him. I owe my life to him, and I can't leave him. I don't know what to do, Kagome. He's given me so much and I've given nothing. Even so, I can't help loving him. He's the only man I truly know, yet I feel like I could stay forever with him. What should I do? He's a lord and I'm a mere human in his eyes." Her face becomes downcast, as if she would start crying. I've never seen Rin cry before, even when she was only seven. She was always so happy and carefree.

"So you do love him. I thought so. Don't worry, Rin, he loves you as well, I can tell. You're the only human he's so much as looked at with a kind thought. You sparked something inside of him that day, and though he won't show it, he can't live without you. Do you know why Sesshomaru hates all humans but you? Why he doesn't want to show that he cares for you?"

"No." Her eyes turn back to me again. "Do you?"

**(A/N: 3****rd**** movie spoilers—well, sorta)**

"I don't know everything, but I can tell you the basics. Sesshomaru is afraid of becoming like his father. The former lord fell in love with a human after Sesshomaru's mother was killed. Sesshomaru saw the relationship as weak and knew his father would die because of it. After a battle with Riukotsuei (s/p?), one of the many demons who disapproved of the relationship, the lord was greatly wounded.

"Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother, went into labor that night and the lord, knowing trouble would come for her, made a great deal about being by her side. Despite words from Sesshomaru predicting his father's certain death if he went, the lord left intent on protecting her. He managed to save Izayoi and the infant Inuyasha, but in a battle with the human lord who wanted Izayoi for himself, he was defeated as he sacrificed himself to save her. His injury from his earlier battle caused his defeat.**(A/N: end spoilers)**

"In Sesshomaru's eyes, the relationship caused his father's death and eventually the death of Izayoi several years later. Sesshomaru hated humans for what they did to his father, but more-so, he swore to never take a human mate and become as 'weak' as his father. Now, however, I believe he does it more out of protection for you, thinking the same fate will befall you. And also, he feels he may lose you, or break your trust. He doesn't want you hurt, Rin, but that does not mean he doesn't love you."

Rin's eyes are watering. I wonder how often she cries now, for it seems to be a lot more often than when she was small. I can see Sango looking wide eyed at the explination. "You-you really think he loves me?"

"Yes, I do." I smile at her. And I'm now involved in yet another love story. They seem to follow me, don't they? Well, I'm more than happy to help her. I just wonder what the guys are talking about…

A/N: Well, that's it for now. The next chappie will be with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. I don't want to go into that during this chappie cuz then it'd only be the longest chappie in the world! Don't worry, though, since I'm inspired and have nothing to do 'till Inuyasha comes on, I'm going to write the next chappie right now. I'll end up posting it soon, probably tonight! So be happy that it's Saturday!

And just in case any of you are wondering why I said thirteen years instead of ten years for how long Rin had been with Sesshy: I think you may have figured this out yourself, but just in case… I know I haven't mentioned this before, but Kagome is 28 yrs old. She spent three years in the feudal era before she left for ten. Therefore, Rin had known Sess for three years before Kagome left also.

Well, I'm gonna start on the next chappie soon, so review fast. -


	12. Chapter 10: OMG! They're being nice!

A/N: Wow, I have almost 3000 hits! But only 61 reviews! What is with you people? What do I have to do to get more of you people to review? Does the craziness and angst in my prologue scare people away? And out of everyone who almost always reviews, only two of you did this last chappie! Was it not good? I know you guys who did said it was great, but no one's reviewing it! Oh well, a big thanks to you few great guys who do, and here's your replies!

REVIEW REPLIES

**Sesshomaru'sHOT**- lol. I'm sorry it's so sad, but it wouldn't be a good story if it wasn't. And if she didn't marry Hojo, she never would have tried the well and she'd be wollowing in her misery for the rest of her life, which would have been worse. But think of it this way—Hojo now has every right to die.

**kagomemikogoddess**- - thanks. That's a real compliment right there! -

**magicgirl145852**- wow! Well, I can tell you that almost every Inu/Kag story out there is great, so stick with it cuz it rocks! You'll fall deeply in love with it most likely just cuz it rocks so much. It's my #1 fanfic category just cuz the people are so imaginative! You'll love them all! Oh, and thanks! -

**Chanel139**- wow, 2 reviews from you! Yay, you rock! And I'm really glad you like it -

**Kagome2**- thanks once again! I'm glad you like. This chappie won't be much cept what Inu and Sess are doing while the girls talk, but it should still be pretty good. Not much interesting stuff, but after this chappie I'll try and get to the good stuffs again. -

**JonnieBelindaandInuyasha**- Sorry I didn't update last night, but you were the only review I got then! I wasn't going to take the time to write unless everyone wanted me to. But now I'm updating again and you'll be able to (hopefully) get some sleep. I'm so happy you like it so much. You know, you were my first reviewer and I'm so glad that you're still staying with it. :here have some Hugs/Cookies/Pizza/Whatever else you want:

**(This is not for the nice people who reviewed)**

Well, that's all to the nice people who reviewed me! Out of 3000 people reading this story, that's pretty crappy! I have like, 65 hits on the last chappie! You guys really need to review if you're liking it—if you don't, why did you read 10 chappies? That means I should get 65 reviews for that last chappie. Good or bad I don't care. Flame me if you want! I just want reviews. They inspire me. If you want me to change to updating once a week instead of once a day, then fine, don't review! But seriously, it doesn't matter if you have an account or not cuz I have it set for anonymous reviews too. Just think, if all of you people reviewed, I'd have 3000 reviews with only 10 chappies! And for those who can't grasp this fact—REVIEWS ARE TO TELL ME HOW I'M DOING. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, TELL ME SO I CAN DO BETTER NEXT TIME! AND IF YOU DO LIKE IT, THEN THAT'S ALL THE MORE REASON FOR YOU TO REVIEW!

**(Nice people can read now)**

Ok, I feel done now. Sorry to everyone who has reviewed, but that needed to be said. And I'm not complaining that I only have 60 reviews, I just think that everyone should tell me what they think so I can make it better. It makes me feel like there are 3000 people out there who don't like my story compared to the 60 of you who do. I'm not going to stop writing cuz of this, I just get more ideas when people review and so I might update sooner. And if any of you actually read that paragraph, now you have every reason to review! It'll take you five seconds to click the little blue button and say 'I like it' or 'I don't like it' or even 'I hate it'. Thank you!

Now, on with the story.

Forget Me Not Chapter 10 

**Meanwhile with Inu and Sess… (This is at the same time as Rin and Kag's convo)**

"So what's been going on, little brother?" Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were walking slowly through the forest, not really caring where they end up. Inuyasha was making it fairly obvious that he still thought Sesshomaru was tricking him and would kill him in his sleep—or something along those lines. (A/N: Think of when Inu/Kik were sitting in the field and Kik said it was the first time they'd talked. You know how his eyes were all bugged out n stuff.)

"I think you know what. Word travels fast through demons and over ten years you should have heard something, from Myoga if not anyone else."

"I mean after that."

"Nothing really. She came back and was wounded, I took her and her daughter to Kaede's, we talked, Koga showed up, and then you came."

"Her daughter?"

"That little girl there with her, name's Sango."

"So why'd she come back?"

"She said that Hobo guy was drunk and hit her or something like that."

"And this Hobo is her husband."

"Was her husband. She hates him now. He almost killed Sango (A/N: he choked her, remember?) and injured Kagome badly. As soon as she lets me, he's dead."

"I'm sure he is. But what does she think of this? Is her era not different then ours? What would their world think if they found him sliced to pieces? And what of Kagome and the girl? What would they think?"

"Kagome would be fine, I know. She hates him now and doesn't really care. She understands why I'd do it too."

"And the young girl? She may hate him or be scared of him as Kagome is, but would she wish her father dead by your hand? She looks up to you. What if she saw you kill someone for reasons she didn't understand?"

"She knows how it is. Kagome told her everything."

"Inuyasha, she's a young girl. You don't tell her the details of places like this. Children do not like blood of fighting. Kagome wouldn't have said any more than she had to about demon instincts, especially not killing to protect. She may not yet understand the ties of mating and will not understand that in demon terms you have every right to kill him.

"Why do you think I left Rin out of the battles? I still do sometimes. She is a woman, and practically royalty at that. She should not see such things. If Sango saw you slaughter someone she was very close to her, would she still trust you? She will not understand, and may feel that both her father figures are mean. She is at the age and comes from a family that would have taught her that violence does not solve problems. To see you do the same to him that he nearly did to her would be betrayal in her eyes."

"I guess you have a point, but he needs to die. What if he does it to another woman? What he cheated her? He has every right to be slaughtered by my hand, and Kagome believes so too."

"I'm not saying that you shouldn't. But does Sango have to know? It took until after Naraku died for me to tell Rin about our being brothers. (A/N: yeah yeah, I know, 3rd movie, but just humor me) Or maybe think of an alternative. Perhaps you could make it seem as though it was an accident? I'm not saying that he shouldn't be slaughtered, but you have to think of who you might lose with that. How long would it take Kagome to get Sango to know the truth of demon rights and laws? She is too young of a human to understand. You may have been born with those instincts, as was I, but she was not. Kagome spent enough time with you and look, it took her thirteen years to learn that it was an instict for you to fight Koga and protect her, did it not?"

"I do not kill without reason, Sesshomaru."

"I know you do not, nor do I, but the girl will know nothing of why you killed him. I her era, is it not wrong to kill for something like that? Killing is a crime, no matter what the reason to her. It will not be as easy as you may think to sway her thoughts and beliefs. And you will need Kagome's help as well."

It was now safe to say that Inuyasha was becoming quite annoyed with this conversation. He seemed to trust his brother a little more though, seeing as how Sesshomaru was agreeing with him AND helping him—neither of which had EVER happened before. But he needed to drop the conversation and start a new one. The elder brother had stated his opinion and that was that.

"So, what's with you? No way a human could change you that much."

"Look who's talking. At least mine wasn't forced to stay with me."

"Kagome could have left at any time."

"And yet every time she left you had dragged her back no more than three days later."

"So what."

"You ask how I could be changed by a human, but you were also changed."

"But you were worse, Mr. Gimmie-the-damn-sword-so-I-can-kill-you-now!"

"I never denied that the human changed me, little brother. But if you wish to know, I suppose I should tell you. Yes, the human did change me. Rin just, I'm not sure. Maybe that she tried to help me was what did it, but she just seemed special. Despite her babbling when she learned to speak and those nonsense songs, she was good company next to Jaken. She was always obedient and she was always trying to make me happy with her human ways. She'd give me flowers and sing me songs. There was never a human before who attempted that.

"Do not ask me why she was so special, for I do not know. But as she grew, Naraku was destroyed and we returned to the castle. Things were rather boring, but she would always find things to do. When we did travel, she was the first to know and she always came along. The servants treated her like royalty, as they should, though I must say it surprised me—especially how much they despise humans. She got anything she wanted at no expense—fancy robes, a new room she designed herself, hell she even has her own wing of the castle. Not to mention she keeps a little spirit demon she found not to long ago. She's being spoiled rotten, yet she never asks for much.

"I just can't help but get her anything she could wish for. And after everything she has, she still believes herself to be my servant. After all of this, she still thinks she owes me something. I just don't understand her sometimes. Humans confuse me, as does she. Her heart is warm and her voice is cheerful and full of happiness. Her eyes always seem to sparkle, even when she's frightened. And you know, I've never seen her cry? Every now and again I can smell her tears, though they never linger. She is the strangest creature I've ever seen, and yet she is also the most amazing."

"But she is now past the age for mating, is she not? Why has she not left?"

"I do not know. She has had every chance to, and she could have her pick of the entire lot. Even humans from the other regions come and beg to court her. Millions come every month, yet she has chosen no one. Sometimes I wonder what goes through her mind. She is at times very strange. She always tells them that she has a duty to me, but that is not true. I cannot count the times I've told her that she can do what she wishes with her life. She chooses to stay though, and always attempts to serve me more. After a while, I could do nothing but give her position of head advisor. She is very wise, the humans in her village were foolish to treat her so harshly. I've already smelled a few who I remember from the scents of the village-folk who most likely were able to escape. Even they come to court her, not realizing that she is the orphan they treated so. I am forced to use all of my will-power to not just go down and slaughter the foolish idiots."

"So she is treated like an heir then?"

"More so like my mate. Everyone, even Jaken, questions me about it constantly, despite the fact that they could plainly smell the difference."

"But do you see her as a mate, or just someone who is nearly equal to you?"

"It is hard to say. I believe the feelings are there, though it would go against everything I've ever thought of. For too long did I dispise father, your mother, and even you for what happened to him. He met his death because of her, and she met hers because of him. I have hated humans for as long as I can remember. I cannot simply throw away all of my life-long values just because of her. I am turning into father more and more each day. It both pleases me and scares my. I wish for his power, but not for his taste in mates.

"But every day I grow more and more fond of young Rin. I be going against everything I ever believed in, and likely displease the other lords and demons, not to mention putting her in danger. And I cannot forget that she will grow old, while I will stay the same. If there was not so much riding on this decision, I would have claimed her by now. But I have been thinking hard about this for years. It's not as if I can ask my advisors about it. She is head, it'd be more like I was asking her to accept rather than what I should do, and the others are demons who would turn down the thought immediately. There is no easy way around this."

"You should worry less about your status and more about your heart. If the girl loves you, should she not be given a happy life with you? There will come a time when she will grow tired of you dodging the subject. If she serves you willingly, she can leave you willingly as well. She will not wait forever. I know Kagome didn't."

"I am her protector, little brother. What would happen if she changed her mind? Would she understand, even now, what she's getting herself into? And if I asked her and she did not accept, there would be friction between us. She may even leave."

"So? She cares for you enough to stay with you. She could have her pick of millions of men, yet she chose you. Not because you are her protector, not because she serves you, but because she loves you. She will not turn you down simply because she is in danger. She knows you'll protect her until either of you die and she'll do everything she can to make you happy. Just look at her, Sesshomaru. Even as small as seven, she loved you, though she didn't know it. She showed you all signs of her affection. She followed you, gave you gifts, did what you said, and sang to you. All she asked in return was to stay by your side. Her love is more concern to her than her safety, or her status. She will not reject you."

"Even so, do you expect me to just ask her?"

"No, I think.." Inuyasha was interrupted by a scream coming from the hot spring the girls were at. The hanyou knew immediately that it was Kagome's scream, and he was off as soon as he heard it, Sesshomaru catching up quickly. The two brothers ran as quickly as possible to the clearing, ready to kill anything that dared even to touch their hopefully 'soon-to-be' mates.

A/N: Oooooh, cliffie! Haven't done one of those in a while…Oh well, the reason it's a cliffie and you can't find out who it is yet, is because I'm still debating between two people. I'm leaning towards one, but this part of the plot was random and it goes against everything I had planned for that character. So I need some serious thinking time to have an argument with myself. (No really, I talk out loud to myself when I argue. It's like I'm voicing my conscious or something. Why is this? It's just cuz I'm a crazy person.)

Well, I don't really have much else to say except review and tell me what you think. I know the Inu Bros were WAAAAAAAAAY OOC in this chappie, but hey, Sesshy's heart had to be melted or it didn't work out right. I tried to make it as good as possible dispite this, but I probably did a really crappy job anyway. Please feel free to be honest with me though. If you think this chappie sucked out loud, please tell me. But that doesn't mean you should stop reading the story since my mind got carried away with the new (not to mention creepy) attitudes of our favorite little doggies.

Don't worry though, that was just a little brotherly heart-to-heart to catch up. They'll act just like immature little kids again very, very soon, so bear with me.

R&R NOW!

Midnight-wolf-314


	13. Chapter 11: Poison

A/N: YAY! I got 9 reviews again. That's more like it people. I'm sorry to those of you who have reviewed in the past but not the last few chappies for saying all of that stuff. I didn't mean to either. I know how it is, not having time or not having a computer or something and I am also one of those people who don't really review more than once. I meant it for anyone who hadn't reviewed at all and I'm sorry if you thought I was mad at you or something cuz I'm not. I was just wondering where you guys were.

REVIEW REPLIES 

**Clouds of the Sky**- I'm really sorry about that. I know that you guys can't always review, but I just got carried away in my writing. I'm really sorry and of course I forgive you. And thanks - I'm glad you still like it.

**kagomemikogoddess**- lol, thanks! Ya know what? You just gave me a brilliant idea! It sure solves my 'but that's not how I planned it' thingie! Wow, you reviewers are so creative! Thanks so much. Or if you like it better, arigato!

**JonnieBelindaandInuyasha**- lol. I guess I'm doing a good job since you're in so much suspense. - Coolio! And thanks for the optimism! - I know it doesn't mean they hate my story, but I feel like if they're too lazy to review then they don't really want you to know what they think. I should be like that, but I just don't. But I'm glad I have you to think that way for me (sorta). - Thanks once again for the great review!

**frani1375**- YAY! A new reviewer! WooHoo! Thanks

**Kawaii Bell**- That's cool…hmmm, I'll think on that, but depending on what I feel like, I may or may not give him his death in this one. If I do, though, it'll have something to do with Kagome's scream…but if I go by my 1st thought, then that'll work better. (1st thought being Inu kills him in modern times, scratch the 'Inu kills' part and there ya have it). Thanks, and if the way I was thinking can't fit into this chappie, then that'll be good…and you are the key to my non-writer's block! I'm glad that you're glad too. -

**THE-REAL-MYSTIC**- lol thanks! And that's awesome! I'm not alone with my craziness! (well, I've heard a lot of people say they argue with themselves out loud, so I can't be too crazy, right?) lol.

**Pon Pon Pocky**- lol, yes he is! Beware of the new and improved Lord Fluffy-Sama! (my friend said that in class today, lol) Hmmm, Kaugra will be in this story, I think, but not her today. Good guess though! She'll cause quite a little skirmish of her own, so don't worry! -

**Kagome2**- don't worry, I don't really mean to make them cliffys, they just are. Though I don't plan on doing it this chappie. Usually when they are it's because I would have to get off soon and it'd take me another 3 hrs and 5 pages to type it all, so it's just better suited for a cliffy. I'm glad you like it, though. And thankies! v (Hey look, it's a birdie!)

**magicgirl145852**- you're welcome! - and thanks!

And those are my beautiful review replies! Thank you everyone! And special thanks to kagomemikogoddess, Pon Pon Pocky, and Kawaii Bell for the great ideas. Just for the record, I like it when people tell me what they think should happen. Chances are, it'll end up somewhere (or at least partly) in the story! You don't have to, so don't think that I'm asking everyone to give me ideas. I just really like them. I'm not going to yell like I did about people not reviewing, I just like to get it. I appreciate them all though, so don't hesitate to predict things and tell me what you think should/will happen. Most likely it will! I'm trying to write this so YOU GUYS like it and I'm pretty much making it up as I go at the moment. It really helps when I get a review saying something like, 'Is it…oh, I dunno, Sesshomaru?' and then I go, 'hey cool, that's a great idea! And then I'll end up using it! Yes, I do listen to what you think!

Sorry if that made you guys think you HAD to. I don't know how to explain it like I feel it. Don't like, rack your brains for something you can't think of, just if you read the story and go, 'oh, wouldn't it be awesome if…' then tell me in a review! Cuz most likely, I don't have an answer to my cliffys! So yeah, just if you think of something). I know that's probably confusing and stuff, but I felt like I had to say it. I've had some writers of really big fics not even acknowledge the fact that I gave them ideas when they use them. Don't worry, cuz I'm not like that. -

Anyways, now that my a/n is currently 1 ½ pages long on Microsoft Word, I'll shut up now so you can find out what happens! Oh, and means there's a definition at the bottom for curious people.

Forget Me Not

Chapter 11

Thankfully, the two inu brothers were not too far from the clearing, and made it there within seconds. Before them stood what appeared to be some sort of elf. But elves don't exist in Feudal Japan! So it must have been a demon. At first glance, he didn't appear evil at all, but as Inuyasha looked closer, he had a certain gleam in his eye that betrayed his true side. His ears were pointed, like Sesshomaru's (or maybe more like an elf's) and stuck out through his fine hair.

His outfit was that of a human lord's, and were mainly a midnight black, with hues of purple and blue thrown every here and there. He wore no shoes.

The strands of his hair were a dark black and went down to about his hips. It would most likely blow even in the softest of winds and at the moment, was flowing around him like an aura. It was obviously of his own power, though, because there was no wind at all. (:Drools: he's hot in my mind!)

His eyes were also black, but they had a purple hue to them, adding the malice which betrayed his façade. He was grinning at the three women (or girl in Sango's case), though didn't seem to have done any harm to them. His glare, however, had turned to the two brothers as they entered the clearing.

"Ah, the great Lord of the Western lands himself! Finally! But in the presence of a hanyou? A sight I thought I'd never see. I never expected him to take the path of his father." He looked straight at the lord, obviously expecting a fight to start right then and there.

"I take it you haven't heard much of me in the past ten years then. And by your expression, I suppose you expect me to lose my temper and attack? Well, that does sound like me, does it not? Or at least it did. Since you obviously haven't heard, thirteen years with my most favored advisor have certainly changed this Sesshomaru. I am not who I was, nameless demon, so do not expect me to run into battle over a few insults." Sesshomaru's face was like ice, as it had been in the past, making his words seem hard to believe.

Hmmm, since you made it so obvious, I suppose I should inform you of my name. Formally, I am called Kuro Naito, but to my master and my enemies, I am known simply as Kurnai. And you may have changed, it is possible. We youkai often talk of you and your human bitch. She has changed you from the beginning, and she is also your weakness. You are indeed foolish to leave her alone and unprotected as such." He looked over at Rin who was still across the clearing from Sesshomaru, either too frightened to move, or perhaps she was just wise enough to know not to interfere with her lord's battles. Either way, she had not moved from her spot, making her an open target.

Kurnai was beside her in seconds with speed rivaling Sesshomaru's. It didn't take him long to grab her wrist and hold her dangling in the air. Sesshomaru, though, was also next to her in record time, ready to fight for her safety. But before Tokijin (s/p?) was drawn, she was on the ground again.

"Well, I see I was correct. You have turned into your father indeed, Sesshomaru. Fighting to protect a mere mortal rather than your pride and power. Hmmm, so now I have your attention. You are too late, however. She will be dead within the day."

"You lie! You did nothing to her. She was in your hand for two seconds, what could you possibly have done?"

"I'm displeased with you, Sesshomaru. I really thought you would have thought to smell her after I touched her. I'll let you tell us what has happened to her…especially after you knew all along what I truly was. I'll leave you for now, I think your last few hours with the girl should be alone, do you not agree?"

Sesshomaru looked over toward Rin, his eyes widening. Then, for the first time everyone present had ever seen, Sesshomaru's eyes turned toward sadness, but soon to anger. "You are a foolish one indeed. Even you should know about my sword. She will not die so easily. Even you should know that Tensaiga accepts her as one to protect greatly. Do not think I'm as careless as you think I am." But as a reaction, he pulled out Tokijin and swung at Kurnai, who easily stopped the attack…with his arm?

"Well, you seem to still have the same mind as before. I do not wish for a fight at the moment, merely to see what makes you angry. It seems I have found your weak point. You think you can get everything you want, but you can't. The girl has faced death before, Sesshomaru. Do you think she wishes to experience the feeling again, only to be brought back yet again? What pain she will feel knowing her lord did nothing but watch her die, then awaken her from the only peace she's known for your own selfish gain? You have much to think about before you make such a decision, _milord_. It may not gain everything you believed it would. I will leave you now, but do not think I will be far from here. I wish to watch her slow, painful death and then the look on your face as you realize she does not wish to continue life as she lives it." With a wave of his hand, a black disk appeared beneath his feet and carried him away.

All eyes turned to Sesshomaru, who seemed to be the only one who had any clue what was going on. Even Inuyasha could not notice any sort of change in the young woman. The lord sighed and looked at the small mass of people gathering quickly around him.

"You will find out soon enough, though she should know first. We'll need some time." He looked over the group who apparently had no intention of leaving. He growled as his eyes flashed red. "ALONE!" And there was suddenly a race as to who could make it back to Kaede's hut the fastest.

Sesshomaru ten looked directly at Rin. His eyes still blazed with anger, making the poor girl wonder if she had been the one who caused his anger. But soon, she found a hint of sadness in his eyes.

After seeing her frightened face, he decided that now was not the time to take out his anger, especially not on her. He had never once yelled at her, and he didn't plan to start now. He sighed and his countenance changed yet again, this time to concern.

The poor girl was now becoming even more frightened. Not because of her lord, but because of his expression. Not once had she ever, EVER seen him look so concerned about anything.

"Rin," he started, trying to find exactly the right words, not wanting to upset her. "That demon, he was a poison demon. When he picked you up, you felt a sharp prick on your wrist, did you not?" She simply nodded. "I thought so. He infected you with a deadly poison which kills remarkably fast, though very painfully. I should not mention exactly what it will do, for it will only frighten you more, but you will be in a great deal of pain for several hours until you pass on. Neither I, nor anyone else here, can do a thing about it, unfortunately. I doubt even Kagome's world could provide a cure. I am sorry, Rin, but we can do nothing but wait." His face was not looking at her face. For the first time in his life, Sesshomaru felt sadness, regret, and even slight embarrassment at the sight of her and could not bear to look her in the eyes. He just couldn't see the emotions that would run through the girl's eyes.

"But I must ask you if what he said was true. With Tensaiga, I could bring you back to life, but only if you would wish it of me. If he was correct in saying you could not face death any more than you already have, I will grant your wish."

"I would wish it, milord, but Sesshomaru-sama, is there no other way? Can Tensaiga not heal me as it does you?"

"I am sorry Rin, Tensaiga does not heal, it only restores the soul of the one who is lost. Other than that, it will only heal the injury which caused your death in the first place. And it does not heal me either. My demon blood does all of the work. Tensaiga only removes me from battle and keeps me from dying. Other than that, it does nothing.

"There is a possibility of something that could at least help, but you may not like it. It is not something I would normally suggest, and even so I do not do it lightly. It could pose to be more harm than help. But if you wish it, I will try it."

"What could you do?"

"I can only guess on this theory, since it has never been proven but, out of all that I have heard, I never once knew of a full demon who was killed by the effects. The poison, known as Jooji, will cause you great pain and kill you. For a demon, the effects will still harm you quite a bit and you will most likely be in much more pain and for quite a bit longer than normal, but the demon blood will heal what has been lost and will most likely return you to normal. But that is not a proven fact. You could still die from it, and it will be even more painful than it will as a human. Despite my dislike of this idea, and my sadness at seeing you in pain, I will attempt this if you would risk it, but not unless. You must be positive of your decision, for weather you survive the poison or I revive you with Tensaiga, you will be a demon for the rest of your life—there is no turning back."

"But how could you turn me into a demon, milord? The jewel will be tainted, and I see no other way."

"There is another way. I once asked Myoga of it once out of curiosity as to why he did not turn Izayoi into a demon. The way is that there is a sort of ritual, involving the transfer of some of my blood into your blood. This is much more than the style of mating bonds, Rin, you will drink a cup of my blood, and sleep for a day while you transform. You will not feel any pain from the poison, but if you, as I hope, survive the sleep, you will be in much pain when you awaken.

"But I must warn you, there is reason to be caution. If your body were to reject the blood, if you did not truly desire this, you would die also, and my Tensaiga could never bring you back. I will only do this if you are positive it is worth the risk. You will be giving up a lot as a human, one of which being the number of human suitors who approach you daily. Your choice of mates shall be more limited, and you will live thousands of years with hardly any showing of age. Are you willing to risk this factor and attempt this, or would you rather die and be brought back to life? It is entirely up to you, Rin. I will stand in the way of no decision you make."

"Would you wish me to become demon, milord? If there were no risks, I mean?"

"It is entirely up to you, Rin. Would my answering that question sway you to do something you would not approve of?"

"No. I have made my decision, I merely wish to know from curiostity. You may kill me yourself if I change my mind."

"I suppose there is no harm in saying that yes, it would please me if you were to become a demon. I would not have to fight against age for your life. But believe me when I say that you are wonderful as a human as well. I truly would not care weather you stayed or changed, but to have you by my side for that much longer would truly make this Sesshomaru happy."

"And my answer is yes. I truly wish to try it. I would become more like you, milord, and if I survived this attack, I could serve beside you for thousands of years…oh!" She grabbed her stomach which had just been shot with a large amount of pain.

He looked at her with his still-saddened eyes. 'Rin,' he thought, 'if only I could take away this pain from you, even to throw it upon myself.'

"Come then. We should start immediately before your body is destroyed too much for even demon blood to heal." He said while picking up her body, which was already shriveling under the immense pain, which had only just begun.

A/N: Ok, sorta-kinda a cliffie, but not too bad. So sorry it's shorter than the others. I hope you all aren't mad at this one, but it's 8:30 and I've still got so much homework to do, I just have to get off! I'm sorry, I know we all want to know what happens to Rin.

Anyways, mini-glossary:

Kuro Naito- Dark/Black Night (will refer to more powers yet unknown)

Kurnai- my cheap imitation on Kuro and Naito mixed together (really cheesy I know, but I couldn't just call him both all the time, it's get annoying having a bad guy with two names)

Jooji- found this on a 'what is your name in Japanese?' site. This is the name of my least favorite person in the universe, my ex-neighbor (since I just moved) George. It fits, cuz lord knows he sure as hell acts like deadly poison.

Well, see ya'll tomorrow afternoon when I write my next lovely chappie which will hopefully have more happy-fluff instead of depressing-fluff. And just for the record, someone in a review asked about two certain people becoming mates (you know who you are), I will not answer that so I won't spoil the surprise, but I will say that there IS going to be mentions of mating in this fic, but not anywhere close to lemons. I may hint about one or two, but I do not write lemons! I read them occasionally, but I do not write them!

Ok, there was something else I wanted to say, but it went bye-bye while I wrote that stuff about lemons, but I'm pretty sure it was important. This means, don't be surprised if there is an a/n thing up on this story very shortly. Anyway, that's all! -

Midnight-Wolf-314


	14. Chapter 12: ummm, 12

A/N: Well, it's now safe to say that I'm tired as shit. So sorry I haven't updated in like, 4 days, and I know this is never a good excuse, but I've been so busy! If I didn't mention it before, my grandparents were down from MN this past week and we've been out these past few nights showing them around Gatlinburg. Not to mention that the teachers picked this week to load up with homework. AND I've had the biggest writer's block like, ever, so if this chappie totally sucks and is kinda short, I'm apologizing ahead of time. Hopefully, this chappie will just write itself.

But for every bad point this week, I've had such a great one too! I walked ever day with Kim. We sat in the library and had 'otaku' moments reading Card Captor Sakura and Inuyasha mangas. Did I mention I had only read 2 Inuyasha mangas before I met Kim? Yeah, I wasn't that big a fan of them. But she showed me the joys of them. Lets see, I've read 7, 8, 12,14,18, and I think that's all. Unless you count the one I already have which I think is 6. And I've read 2, 4, and 5 of CCS! Not to mention I read Princess Ai vo.1 and just today, I discovered the best manga ever! Ranma ½! OMG! Ya know, from the preview that looked like such a random one, but it totally rocks! Look at me, I've only read one volume and I'm already so obsessed with it I'm shaking! (No seriously, my hands are shaking so much right now!) AND, the new Code: LYOKO season came on this week! YAY! Ok, enough blabbing about my awful/great week Now, on with the replies!

REVIEW REPLIES 

**kagomemikogoddess**- yeah, I seriously doubted that I had the strength to make Rin go through so much, it's so awful, but hey, at least she'll live (or will she? Me no say). And totally. I can so imagine her as a demon, it's just a natural look for her. It'd look like, 10x better than her human form and STILL be cute/pretty. And GOODBYE IDIOTS WHO WANT TO MARRY HER! YEAH! And thanks. I don't plan on having that be the last time he shows up, but I don't exactly have a great plan…I just thought, yay, a bad guy idea! Let's do it! And so I did and I have no clue what else I'll do with him…or where he came from. The 'incarnation of naraku' thing has really gotten old to me, so I need a new one! Lol. Thanks for the review! -

**Clouds of the Sky**- seriously? Cool! - and thankies!

**Pon Pon Pocky**- lol, cool. What makes other fics piss you off? Me need to know so I don't do it. Thanks! And yes, aren't they perfect? But we need more inu/kag too.

**THE-REAL-MYSTIC**- lol, thanks. And she'll look amazing! At least in my head, cuz I've seen a pic of what she'll look like. Weather I can describe it or not is a whole different matter though. -

**Sesshomaru'sHOT**- lol. 'rox my sox?' that sounds like one of my best friends. Lol, but that's awesome! Thanks! - And yes, sess/rin forever! I love writing about them, but Sess always ends up OOC cuz you have to give him emotions.

Well, that's all folks! Thanks to everyone who has ever reviewed me cuz ya'll rock! And now, on with ch 12! Ya know what? I just now realized that the story hadn't been in Kag's POV in a few chappies. I should have made the last one in her POV, but at the moment since this deals with Sess/Rin and Kag won't see much of it, we'll keep it this way for now.

Forget Me Not

Chapter 12

It didn't take long for the lord to make it back to the hut. He, of course, would have preferred the servants at his castle to do the work, which would make both of them more comfortable, but there simply wasn't enough time. If Rin was to be saved by the demon-blood ritual, she would have to go through with it fairly soon.

Sesshomaru hadn't mentioned this to Rin, but the poison pretty much eats away at your organs until they stop functioning. He hoped that the demon blood would both slow the process and hopefully stop it as well. He was not looking forward to explaining this to everyone. Normally, when a demon turns another human into a demon by choice, it is to show that he/she will become mated to the human eventually. Almost everyone at his castle would now look upon her as his future mate. Not like this was a problem, but there were always those who would possibly rebel…

He looked down at the woman in his arms. Somehow, he couldn't bear to see her hurt. He was her protector…she, unbelievably, gave him his strength. And he wasn't about to let the only thing he'd ever truly cared about walk away from him without a fight.

KAGOMES POV

I saw the two coming over the hill about an hour after we had left the clearing. Sesshomaru was carrying Rin, who seemed to be in quite a bit of pain. She clutched her stomach with one hand and her head with the other. She was not a happy sight…to be honest, it made me completely hate that demon who did this to her. Sango wasn't too far off, but thankfully she wasn't here to see this, but Inuyasha and I were.

I had figured that whatever it was had been bad, but how much damage could he have done without even piercing the skin? (A/N: she didn't know Rin was pricked).

"You owe us an explination, Sesshomaru! What happened to her?" Inuyasha looked ready to attack his 'dear brother' if he didn't receive information at that exact moment.

"Relax and quiet! She needs help NOW and explanations later!"

"So what are you planning to do about it? Didn't that demon-guy say that she was as good as dead?"

"He did, but I have my suspicions."

"And what would those be? We can't help her if you don't at least tell us what you plan to do, ya know!"

"Patience, little brother. If you would wait five seconds, maybe I would tell you. But, as for your answer, I plan to turn her into a demon. In summary, she was injected with deadly poison, and her human blood will not stand a chance. If she would become demon, she will fight it."

"But what about…"

"You fool! Don't ask questions now! Get her inside and prepare the necessary ingredients! Even you should know them."

"But…"

"JUST DO IT! Do you think we haven't talked this out? Where do you think we were this past hour?"

Inuyasha growled at his brother who had now regained his stoic expression. "Fine! Kagome, take Sango and go find any healing herbs you can for internal injuries. Hurry, and don't try to teach her anything, we're in a hurry. Kaede will prepare a place for her to lie, I'll find everything else, and Sesshomaru can take her inside and do his part of the ritual."

Inuyasha seemed serious about this. I wondered what meaning this held besides saving the girl. It's not like he'd ever really cared about Rin before. Hell, he didn't even really know who she was until today. Apparently, this demon ritual was more important than just saving her. Even with this potion, it sounds like she could die, and even so, I'm sure she wouldn't mind coming back to life again.

I wasn't about to question it, though. "Sango…SANGO! Come here, were going to gather some things to help Rin." As we walked down the forest path, I saw Inuyasha dart off in the other direction, and Sesshomaru carry Rin inside.

It'd been so long since I'd gathered herbs, I'd almost forgotten them all. It's not like I hadn't read about them and studied them, but it was only part time. What use was there for my gathering medicinal herbs in my era? Besides, living the lessons is much better than just looking at them.

I thought of all of the herbs for curing internal injuries and poisons I could and thought of the most common…"Sango, look for a plant with a small blue flower. It'll smell sweet, but don't touch the petals, only the stems. Can you do that for me? But don't go too far, I need to be able to hear you if you're in trouble."

"Sure!" She put on the cutest smile, you know that one little girls get when they're being asked to do what to them seems like the most important thing ever. She ran off to the side of the trail and started looking carefully as I walked down the path just a little, to where it turned.

Now there was something new. As I looked down the path to my right, I could see the sacred tree. Not that we hadn't gone in that direction to get to the tree, but you could never see the tree from this spot. I guess a demon attack or something caused all the trees to be destroyed. (A/N: Kagome hasn't been to this place consciously since she got there, remember?) But the tree was seemingly drawing me to it. The sylvan environment around me all disappeared. Only the tree was left. It was beckoning to me. I had to go to it.

I shook my head. I can't do that! What if it was some demon? It's not like the tree has ever called to me before. Yup, either a demon or I'm hallucinating. I turned my back and started gathering every herb in sight.

INUYASHA'S POV

I walked off not too long after Kagome left in search of anything useful. To tell the truth, the only reason I said I went to get something was so Kagome wouldn't freak out and yell at me for not doing anything. It's not like I _can_ do anything. I mean, I can't give the girl demon blood—I don't have enough demon blood to complete the potion. That's Sesshomaru's job. And I don't know anything about herbs either. I may have stayed at Kaede's place for ten years, but that doesn't mean she taught me anything. Besides, I was always at the well.

I was attempting to stay as close to Kagome and Sango as possible without Kagome sensing my presence. I had to be near incase she needed me. Nothing was going to happen to her like it did in the past, and nothing's happening to Sango either. I don't plan on showing either of them a battle for quite some time. And I deffinately don't plan on making any stupid mistakes. I know it may take time, but I want Kagome to live here with me. Nothing's going to happen to her to break her trust of me.

She walked a little ways down the path and stopped dead in her tracks. I saw her look towards the tree and she seemed to space out. Her form was almost floating, and I caught a thread of weakness in her gaze, as if she was giving in, but she shook her head and her face turned back to normal.

I should probably head back now. Sesshomaru's had enough time to get the potion ready and possibly give it to her. (A/N: The potion Sesshy's making is what will turn her demon. The herbs will just slow the poison and relieve some of the pain.)

So I turned towards the village with thoughts of the future still running through my mind.

A/N: Yes, I know that was short. Please don't hate me! I'm out of ideas. There's nothing to show for Sesshy cuz the ingredients of the potion are secret…but you can probably guess at least a couple things that are in it. Next chappie will be longer cuz I'll go into the ENTIRE poison thing with Rin. Ok, ok.

Well, that's about it for now. I don't know when I'll update. Hopefully it'll be tomorrow, but I can't guarentee cuz I'm hanging with Kimmy for at least part of tomorrow. So yeah, I'll update as soon as I can, but I'm not exactly flowing with how to word all my ideas, so lord only knows when it'll be. Please review, though, cuz it might just help me write better than this piece of crap I'm ashamed to call a chappie.

Anyway, I've got some fun stuff to put down here that you'll think is hilarious I'm sure, but I'm too lazy to copy/paste it right now. So yeah, they're really REALLY funny! Well, that's all folks! (haha, just felt a random urge to imitate Porky Pig! Lol)

ttyl

Midnight-Wolf-314


	15. Chapter 13: Inuyasha's Lightbulb

A/N: God, have I had a great day! I dunno why, but I just feel so happy and stuff! Despite the fact that I only got like, 5 hours of sleep last night (thank you 3rd Inuyasha movie) and my allergies are back for the millionth time! But I've just felt so good all day.

Well, I have now read the 1st volume on Gravitation and let me say, that manga is freaky! So sorry to anyone who likes it and I don't have anything against gay pairings, but lets just say I don't need the detail. My friend who so kindly lent me the book didn't tell me until AFTER I read some :ahem: interesting parts that it was slash. Yes, so now I have images of gay hot guys in my head and they won't go away. But I'm happy too cuz I finally read a manga that I don't like. I mean, I know there are bunches of them I won't like, but me being one to only obsess over a few of them, I am quite happy to have actually tried to read one and THEN said I didn't like it. (Usually it's backwards. I'll hear something bout it and I'll be like 'can there be a gayer show?' and then I'll watch it sometime cuz I'm bored or it's just finishing and I'll be like, 'OMG that totally rocks' and then I'll be all obsessed with it).

Ok, review replies! Normally I would complain about only getting 5 reviews while other chappies get about 9, but this time I'm fairly happy about it. This is because that last chappie was so awful and short that I didn't expect any reviews. But ya'll will be quite happy to know that I sat down last night and wrote down all my ideas for this story so I won't keep forgetting them. I have about 16 more chappies not including random ones and fight scenes cuz I unintentionally brought a bad guy into the story.

REVIEW REPLIES

**Keara-chan**- really? Well, it probably would be a manga if Rumiko Takahashi didn't own all rights to Inuyasha. I think I might come up with some original characters and re-write it using them instead, but for now, fanfics will have to do. Thanks so much cuz that totally rocks! It's nice to have someone who loves my story that much. -

**JonnieBelindaandInuyasha**- thanks! And that's ok cuz you still reviewed this one! - you're such a great reviewer person! And I can sympathize with the cold…they suck. Thanks for the review! -

**Kagome2**- Thanks. So sorry it was short…

**Clouds of the Sky**- lol, yeah I know authors like that too. But at least they have good excuses, mine are just cuz I'm lazy… and thanks!

**Pon Pon Pocky**- Wow, so you actually liked my Inu's POV? That's awesome! And I totally agree with you about the grammar. I've read a few like that, and I also have a friend who e-mails me like every day with the weirdest abbreviations ever. She just comes up with random things. It drives me crazy and takes me about an hour to decode the 2 paragraphs she wrote. I don't even read stories like that cuz I know I'll never understand anything about the plot. Thanks for reviewing! -

Well, thank you to everyone who reviewed and said they liked the chappie. And this may seem like a weird thing to ask you guys, but I'm trying to come up with a Halloween costume and it ain't going too well. I don't want it to end up like last year where I only had like, one night to make it and it fell apart during my party. I bought this really pretty kimono off e-bay, and I wanna be something from feudal Japan, but I don't know what! I'm thinking a hanyou that's not a dog, cat, or wolf (cuz those are obvious choices) and I was thinking dragon. My weird question is, what do you guys think a dragon hanyou would look like? (In human form. You know like Sesshy has a human version and a demon version.) If anyone has any ideas, please tell me. I want it to be creative, unique, and fun so I'll use at least one idea from anyone who gives them to me.

Sorry if that was kinda a weird question, but I wanna surprise my friends. And it won't be all for nothing, cuz I'm thinking of making it a character in this fic. (If I can't fit it in this one, I'll make another story with it so you guys can see it. I have an outline, but my drawing looks kinda weird and I can't see myself in that costume.

Anyways, here's the story!

Forget Me Not

Chapter 13

Inuyasha arrived back at the hut just before I did. I wondered what exactly he'd gone to get. I mean, what could be in a potion that turns you demon besides things like the blood or other DNA examples from an actual demon? Not like it bothers me or anything, but Inuyasha's only half demon and it wouldn't exactly work. I know my herbs won't be in it; they're most likely for whatever pain she may feel after the transformation. If they're resorting to turning her demon, it must be something really dangerous a human body can't fight off itself.

Sesshomaru, as far as I knew, hadn't left the hut once since we left. I didn't know if it just took this long to prepare the potion or if he just wanted to stay with her. His sense of protectiveness must be even stronger than Inuyasha's, meaning the lord would stay by her side until she was completely better. No matter how much she wanted it, Rin could not be entirely at ease with this huge change.

But just then, the flap to the hut opened and he stepped out. "The potion is completed and she is now beginning her transformation. We should all stay out of the hut until it is complete. I the mean time, I believe I promised you all an explination." He turned to Sango. "Do you want her to hear this? It isn't very pleasant. She, I am sure, isn't used to this kind of thing, being only a young child. And from another era at that."

I looked over toward my daughter. Her face held curiosity and thought. I knew she was still young, even younger than Rin when she began her travels with the lord where she did not learn of such things until the age of twelve. But, she will be around Inuyasha from now on and will learn soon of the dangers of this world. "Do you really want to know, Sango? It will be gruesome. Don't count on the stories either, for they didn't have half of the destruction they held in reality. It will be worse than your mind could ever imagine. Are you sure?"

She nodded—a little too quickly if you ask me, but there was nothing else I could say to show her what she was truly getting herself into. "Then let her, Sesshomaru."

"As you wish." And so he began the explination of everything. All about the poison, what's happening to her, how it spreads, how much pain the poor girl would feel, and all about the demon potion as well.

After he was finished, all of us were in shock. I'd never heard of anything so terrible, and from the look on my hanyou's face, neither had he. Sango's face held pure terror, and I couldn't help but think I shouldn't have let her hear it. She was obviously having one of those moments where you're so scared your brain just shuts down. The poor girl couldn't talk or cry or scream or even blink. She was still as a statue, not exactly believing what she'd just heard.

Everyone in the circle cared about Rin deeply and we hated the fact that we couldn't do anything about it.

"I should tell you," Sesshomaru began, "that I'm not sure what power Tensaiga has when it comes to things like these. I have only healed flesh wounds with it before, but if someone were to die from the inside-out, I can only hope that it will work. But I must ask you not to tell Rin of this, even in her state of unconsciousness. She would only panic and make her condition worse. I only hope this will not destroy her and leave me helpless. There is, after all, only so much I can do with Tensaiga."

Not long after, we heard Rin screaming from inside the hut—the signal that the potion had done its job and now was the long battle for recovery. We all stood up, but I was the one to go in first, just to make sure she was decent. (A/N: You know how sometimes in movies when people go through huge transformations and whatnot their clothes rip?)

I walked in quietly, so as not to scare her. She didn't look all that different, but there were obvious changes. For starters, she had the usual—golden eyes, claws, and fangs. Her hair was quite a bit longer, reaching down to near her ankles and it was more wavy and smooth. Otherwise, she looked much like Sesshomaru. She had one purple stripe on each cheek and one on each arm as well, and I wondered why she didn't have a moon on her forehead like his. . And what was possibly the most interesting thing—she had one of those fluffy things that Sesshomaru has. Weather it was a tail or not, she now had one and if the situation had not been so serious I was sure I would have erupted in a fit of giggles.

But I didn't need to waste time observing how cute she looked, I needed to help her. She was in pain and who in the three worlds could blame her? She was being eaten alive slowly from the inside and now was not the time to laugh or giggle or even smile. Rin needed help. And no matter how long it had been since I was last given the role of a priestess, I intended to help her.

I stuck my head out of the flap. "She's in pain, but decent. Come in if you wish, but don't bother her." Really, they shouldn't be in there at all, but I assumed that she might feel a little better if Sesshomaru was in there with her. He is her 'happy place' as my friends used to put it. (A/N: All of my friends in Pigeon Forge make jokes about happy places. It can be anything that makes you laugh or feel good inside. Alesha's happy place is Tim and Jessi's is Sam and mine is a line I got from a fanfic by KamikuZephuru. The quote is at the bottom of this page.)

I walked back inside with a bowl of cold water and all of the herbs I had gathered before. It didn't take long for the medication to be ready any waiting. After she took the first dose, she seemed to calm down a bit, but I knew she was still in pain.

It didn't take long for me to figure out that maybe Sesshomaru would want to be alone. The lord had sat down beside her as soon as the word was given that he could come in. He was holding her hand and everything, proving that he was worried—most likely a first for the mostly-stoic lord. If what he said about Tensaiga was true, he would know that there was still a great chance of her dying.

I nudged Inuyasha and Sango and they followed me out of the hut to leave the two alone. I had left the bowl of medicine next to her and Sesshomaru knew what to do if she needed more.

Poor Sango was still nearly frozen in fear from what she had seen. "You, ok, Sango?"

She only nodded.

"No you're not. This'll take some getting used to, I know, but you need to calm down a bit."

"You never said it was this awful, Mommy. You said everyone was nice but Naraku and Koga and Sesshomaru."

"First, I didn't say that. And second, you heard so much about demons, even if it wasn't that detailed. You remember Tsubaki, right? I realize I didn't tell you everything, but now that you know, aren't you glad I didn't tell you?"

"Yes, but what if that happens to you or me? What then?"

"We'll just hope it doesn't. And besides, doesn't it count that we have two very strong dog demons, soon to be three, who can protect us? And in not too long, you'll begin learning archery. It won't be as hard as you think. Inuyasha will do everything he can to protect both of us and you should know that by now."

"But it's just so scary here, Mommy, I wanna go home."

"I'm sorry honey, but we just can't do that. I know it's hard, but it won't be long before you'll prefer here to our era. This is my home and has been for the past thirteen years. Home is where the heart is. And as you know, my heart has always been here. Always. It's where I belong, and you do too. You'll see that soon enough." I randomly noticed that Inuyasha was apparently trying not to eavesdrop. "Now, how 'bout you stay here while I take a walk with Inuyasha, hmm? I think he needs to talk to me. Sesshomaru's here and can help you, but only if you really need help, okay? Don't bother him and Rin unless you have to."

"Sure."

"Just try to relax and think, ok? Calm down about the horrors of this era and concentrate on the good things. And I'll show you some of the better things when Rin is all better, ok?" I smiled at her, if only to comfort my very frightened daughter, and turned towards my hanyou, pulling him into the woods.

When we were far enough away from the village to not be heard by Sesshomaru on accident, I looked him straight in the eyes. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing."

"You're turning into your old self again, ya know? I know something is wrong, now tell me what it is before I have to force it out of you."

"And how could you force me?"

"Hmm, let me think, we could see if those beads of yours still work, or I could go home and back to Hojo…" Well, so what if I was bluffing. Wasn't that obvious, was it? Like I'd really go back to Hojo after all of this. But when his face showed sadness again, I regretted even saying it. I did the only thing I could think of to do—I hugged him. Well, I guess glomped him is more the word for my action.

"Sorry, didn't think you'd take it that seriously. You really think I'd leave after all of this? Now tell me what's wrong or I might start crying again…" I was serious this time. I really felt like crying every time he tried to keep something from me. Call me moody if you will. Or maybe weak-hearted, but I knew it would work.

"Fine. It's just, what if that happened to you? Even Sesshomaru couldn't stop the injection and he can barely help her survive. I don't have anything that could help. Half-demon blood wouldn't be nearly as effective as full-demon blood, and I don't have a magic sword to bring you back to life again. There'd be nothing I could do except watch you die. I couldn't stand you leaving me again, and the thought of knowing it was my fault wouldn't help much either."

I couldn't see his face, but he was deffinately back to his 'newer' self again. But I should have known that's what would be bothering him.

"Inuyasha, you won't lose me again. Well just destroy this Kurnai demon just like we destroyed Naraku. I promise."

"You can't promise that cuz you don't know for sure. Think of everything that happened to you in the past and I couldn't do anything about it. Now I've got you and Sango to look out for and you'll both end up with your share of injuries because of me."

Oh boy, here we go again, the 'worthless half-breed' speech. "I'm just a…"

"A what? A worthless half-breed? You're not, Inuyasha. You're strong and brave and you never give up. You'll always protect us. I don't like it when you talk about yourself like that and you know it. How many times do Sango and Miroku and I have to tell you before you understand?"

"But…"

"What did I just say, hmm? Inuyasha, I fell in love with you as a half demon, and I intend to keep it that way. You…are…perfect just the way you are."

"But…"

That was it. He wouldn't listen to reason, well what about evidence? I leaned up and kissed him softly, but with every ounce of love I had in me. He would understand if it killed me, damn it!

And that was all he needed. I don't know what does it, but his view of himself changed right there yet again, as it had every other time we'd had this little 'talk'. I wish I could knock it into his brain for good, though. (Random A/N: I just realized that we've been at the same day for about the past 9 chappies…I need to get this thing going!)

"We should get back, Inuyasha, but seriously, do you really doubt me every time I say this? Why is it so hard to believe that you aren't worthless, you aren't weak, you aren't stupid, or anything else someone may have planted inside your head over the years."

"Kagome, you say this, but who else does? Not many other people in this world agree with you on that. For every person I've heard say I'm not worthless, there are a million more who say I am."

"And so why do you listen to them? Put them in their place. Any demon who calls you weak because of what you are, kill them and then see who's the weak one." We were slowly walking back to the hut now, trying to give Sesshomaru just a little longer with his princess before they had to do something else.

"It's not that easy…"

"Listen to me. People are stereotyped all the time. I've had my share of it and so has everyone else. Go to high school in my time some time and see what kind of nicknames you develop before the end of the first day. Cliques are everywhere—preps, jocks, geeks, Goths, nerds, etc. Whatever they call you though, you just learn to ignore it. Realize that the opinions that matter are those of the people who care about you—your friends.

"I'm not saying that it doesn't hurt you. Knowing you'll never be accepted by the people you admire or want to be like isn't fun. And I'm not saying that it's the exact same thing, seeing as how you were nearly killed for it more than a few times. But please, just listen to people who accept you and not to those who don't. Put them in their place and prove to the world that you're not worthless. And then we'll see who has the last laugh."

He was silent after that, obviously thinking over what I had just said, and it wasn't long before we reached the village. But it wasn't exactly what we'd expected to see.

Sango was looking rather upset and near tears, while Sesshomaru could be heard moving frantically through the hut all the while, cursing to himself, though loud enough for us to hear.

We burst into the room. "What happened?"

"She's shaking and out of control. The medicine won't help it." All the sudden, Rin's chest stopped moving up and down and the shaking quit as well.

"She's just barely alive, Sesshomaru. I think she just had a seizure, which is a condition in my time where the brain somewhat stops functioning. There's nothing we can do about it here and we can't just bring her back to my world. The poison must be affecting her brain sooner than expected. She's pretty much dead as we speak… and there's nothing we can do."

(A/N: I could leave you hanging there, just to be mean and because I have so much homework, but since I'm in a good mood, I'll do just a little more. Oh, and I'm not a doctor, so if I mess up something about seizures, don't get mad and just pretend.)

"There's no medicine for it? No herbs?"

"Nothing. Not even in my time. We just hope she lives through it, but even if she does, it's not a good omen. It means she'll probably have more shortly until her brain is completely dead."

"And Tensaiga?" Inuyasha butted in.

"Not likely, but possibly. I'd prefer to not find out though."

"It may be our only choice, Sesshomaru. Unless her demon blood can work miracles in the next few minutes, she'll be dead."

If a lightbulb had been floating over Inuyasha's head, it would have just clicked on. "Hey Sesshomaru, what about Myoga? He can suck poison out of the bloodstream. He's saved both Kagome and I more than a few times with it."

"He could maybe weaken the dosage, but I doubt he could get rid of all the poison though." Inuyasha's lightbulb just shattered. "But, It can't hurt to try. Where is that old flea anyway?"

Just then, I saw a small dot jump into the hut. "Greetings Masters."

"Well that was sure lucky…" I muttered, though I was sure they all heard me.

"Forgive me, but I heard screaming and I…"

"You thought there was danger so you stayed away, am I correct?"

"Well, yes…oh, Lady Kagome, you have finally returned!"

"Ahem…more important things are at hand, Myoga. We need you to get as much poison out of Rin as you can. But be careful, it's deadly and I doubt you can get it all." Sesshomaru stated.

"Well, what part of it?"

"What the hell do you mean, what part?"

"Well, which part of the body does the poison need to come out of first? In other words, which part is being mostly affected?"

"Her brain, or her head I guess. Just get as much out of her as you can."

"Right…wait a minute, she's a demon! Does that mean…no, there's no moon yet, but you…"

"JUST DO IT!" Sesshomaru roared as Rin started twitching again. Myoga quickly jumped onto her neck, found the vein, and started sucking. The flea was maybe a little bit bigger than Shippo **was** (A/N: he'd be taller now :'( ) and then collapsed as Rin's breathing deepened and her body lay still.

A few seconds later, Myoga was being his usual talkative self. "Ah, the Jooji poison. How on earth did she get that much of it in her?"

"Not the time." We all answered in unison.

"What about…"

"No! Thank you for helping her, Myoga, but it's not over yet. Let's hope her demon blood fights it off before the poison reaches her brain yet again."

And so we sat there, just watching the young girl who's face was twisted in pain, hoping that all of this would be over soon.

A/N: Well, there ya go! One hell of a long chappie to make up for the last one. And some fluff! YAY FLUFF!

When I talked about the happy places, this is my quote:

"You are my sunshine, My only sunshine, When I'm not caffinated, I am SANE!"

Loving Incense by KamikuZephuru

It's a great story, Ya'll should go read it. But read Wind Child first and have fun laughing your head off at the great disclaimers! There are more, but I lost the file on my computer and I can't find it now and don't feel like typing them all out.

And this funny little bit I DID NOT COME UP WITH! People, If I had this imagination, this would not be an Inuyasha fic, it would be an original best seller that makes me millions! But it is very funny, so enjoy it!

**InuYasha Lightbulb Challenge!**

**-------**

**How many Rumiko Takahashi's does it take to change a lightbulb?**

Only one, but it takes one of her characters to burn it out, two characters to fight over actually being able to change it, a few random enemies and one BIG BAD enemy who want the lightbulb all to themselves... and over 300 chapters to tell us how the hell they're going to change it.

**How many Inuyashas would it take to change a lightbulb?**

Only one. Except that first he'd think he wants to get a full-fledged lightbulb. Then he'd have to find the lightbulb that his father left for him. Then he'd realize that he doesn't know how to USE the lightbulb. Then he'd have Kagome show him how to use it. Then when he realizes that he's only using 25 watts, he'd switch to 50 watts. Then 100 watts. Then a three-way 75-watt, 100-watt, and 200-watt lightbulb.

**How many Kagomes would it take to change a lightbulb?**

Only one. Except she's never home to actually change it. And jii-chan keeps making excuses as to why the lightbulb burned out.

**How many Mirokus does it take to change a lightbulb?**

It kind of depends. See, he keeps asking around, seeking someone to give him a lightbulb... but when he actually FINDS someone who will give him a lightbulb, that person turns out to either be possessed, or in disguise, or something. And then he has to end up refusing the lightbulb, anyway.

**How many Sangos does it take to change a lightbulb?**

Only one, and she'll either smack or wham it with her hiraikotsu when it doesn't want to turn on.

**How many Shippous does it take to change a lightbulb?**

Four. One to screw the lightbulb in, one to hold the ladder, one to actually BE the lightbulb, and one to play decoy to Inuyasha, who will come in and start beating up on Shippou for making comments about how Inuyasha is too stupid to know how to change a lightbulb.

**How many Kikyous does it take to change a lightbulb?**

Actually, Kikyou never has to change her lightbulbs. They die, but keep turning back on over and over and over again.

**How many Sesshoumarus does it take to change a lightbulb?**

One swish of his sword would bring that lightbulb right back to life, now wouldn't it?

...not to mention he's kinda annoyed because his dad wants him to use crappy flourescent lightbulbs and left the really bright, awesome lightbulbs with Inuyasha.

**How many Narakus does it take to change a lightbulb?**

I'd be able to answer this question better, except that the bastard keeps frikking changing lightbulb brands. And then the last time the lightbulb died, he HID THE FRIKKING LAMP!

And did I mention that he'd probably just get one of his underlings to change it for him...?

**How many Kohakus does it take to change a lightbulb?**

Only one, because we just figured out that he remembered how to change it! Nevermind that he was the reason the lightbulb went out in the first place.

**How many Kougas does it take to change a lightbulb?**

Well, he doesn't really want to accept that the lightbulb burned out. He's just going to keep going back, flicking the switch stubbornly, insisting that the light is SUPPOSED to be turning on.

**How many Kaguras does it take to change a lightbulb?**

She doesn't know. And frankly, she doesn't give a damn. She just hates the fact that she's being asked to change lightbulbs.

Well, alrighty then. I dunno when I can update next, but hopefully it'll be within the next couple days. And since I spent 3 hrs writing this and will probably fail English tomorrow for doing this instead of reading part II of _The Odyssey_ and doing all the questions, I expect loads and loads and LOADS of reviews from all of you people who are nice!

Ttyl,

Midnight-Wolf-314


	16. Chapter 14: Nightmares of Death

A/N: Hey people! I'm finally updating! wOOt wOOt! yes, I know, I've been slacking, but GOD, I've had too much freakin crap to do! I thought homework was supposed to DECREASE as the year went along! We had a band competition on Saturday and I swear I got out of bed on Sunday and collapsed cuz my legs had been reduced to jello, thank you marching! Not to mention, while coming up with more and more ideas for this fic and others, I'm still stuck as to how to finish Rin's little problem. And, I decided I've been dragging this on long enough so I plan on finishing it today. (Rin's thing, not the story)

You people have my permission to skip this part if you're not too interested in hearing me rant about my 'experiences' in wellness

Oh, and guess what we get to do in Wellness! SEX ED! I'm just so excited :rolls eyes: I must say, I've read some pretty perverted stories out there and I was thinking more along the lines of anatomy and crap like that, but NOOOOOO. We get to sit in there every day this week and listen to some 'professional' give us all this shit about why we shouldn't do this. We get educated on STD's and that is really something I could do without knowing! All we get is lecture after lecture about why we shouldn't have sex 'till we're married cuz of all of these diseases. You wanna know what I freakin have to say? If you don't know it's there, you can still get it even if you're married. I mean, it's not like the STD just says 'oh, she's married now' and walks away. It may help it from spreading, but if it's for OUR health as individuals, we have just as much chance as getting it from someone we're married to than someone we're not. I personally think it's a load of BS when adults say half of this crap. Not that I don't think they exist, but I don't think all that many people will change their minds about having sex by reaching into a bag and pulling out an exlax instead of a chocolate bar. (no, we really had to do that. It was to show 'the probability of getting pregnant' and if you got the laxative instead of the chocolate bar than you were 'pregnant' and had to eat it.) ok, I'll shut up now cuz I really doubt any of you are still reading.

Ok, ranting is over 

**Well, I found this really awesome site (again since it got deleted from my favs list) to download anime music. And, I decided that it might be kinda cool to add music to the chappies. I've read a few like that and it really adds to the drama and fight scenes and fluffy stuff and everything else. You guys don't have to, but it's just really cool. You go to (in case that's considered a link and doesn't show up: **

t h e o t a k u . c o m (there are NO spaces) you have to get a username and then you click on the button near their search engine that says 'anime jukebox' and you're there! They are listed alphabetically. Each chappie I'll put in a recommended song(s) at the beginning at each chappie from now on, so feel free to do this cuz it really does help with the story.

REVIEW REPLIES

Sesshomaru'sHOT- yes, I thought you guys would like that. It's really awesome. And I think I laughed that long, if not longer, than that too. I just can't get enough of it and I read it every day AND showed it to all my friends at school.

peugeot306- good ideas! I'll probably end up doing something like that, but I think I'll have a little more fun with some demons first. Teehee

Rabid- Sango and Miroku went back to the demon slayers' village to live, but don't worry, I just HAVE to get them in, though it might be a couple chappies from now. -

THE-REAL-MYSTIC- lol, glad you like! My friend sent them to me. I think she found them online somewhere, but I'm not sure where…but, more funny things to come -

Kagome2- thanks once again

Clouds of the Sky- thanks! And yes, my quote so describes me. Only some people think it's true though, my mom just thinks it's weird…but o well, I like it! And I have more really random quotes too! -

chaotic pink chocobo- lol! Thanks for all of the reviews! That's really cool and thanks for doing every chappie. And I don't sleep for more than 24hrs a lot. I stay up all night and can still be so friggin hyper! And thanks for putting me on all your favorite things! I love people like you who do all of this to prove how much you love the story :hugs awesome reviewer:

Pon Pon Pocky- lol, yes the lightbulb challenge always puts smiles on people's faces! And I think the Sesshy's fluffy question has the same answer as the tootsie-pop commercial- "the world may never know". Lol, but I hope we get to find out soon. - If it's any help, all my friends seem bent on the fact that it's a tail, but I have no clue. But they rock! Fluffys for Sesshy, fluffys for Rin, aw hell, fluffies for EVERYBODY::takes out large box of fluffys and begins throwing them everywhere dancing like a maniac: ahem…sorry.

Well, that's everyone! Thank you all! I have one last thing though. I said a while back that I would review your fics if you reviewed mine. Well, I'm starting to lose track on who all I've done that for and who wrote what and where I left off with each story. And I've even found that several of you haven't written any fics. In your reviews, if I haven't already reviewed at least 1 of your stories, I want you guys to tell me and give me the name of the one you want me to review. I won't read/review any EXCEPT the ones you guys ask me to. If I've already kept my promise to you, you don't have to say anything.

Well, as usual, my a/n has been waaaaaaaaay too long. So, enjoy the chappie!

Song: Sorrow 

**Series/movie: NOIR**

Forget Me Not

Chapter 14

We had all been sitting down near her for almost a full day. The poor girl, no matter how much pain she was in, could not wake up. But thankfully, she hadn't had anymore attacks. Nothing too life threatening appeared to be happening to her and from her screams and expressions, one might think she was only asleep and having a nightmare she refused to wake from. How were we to know that she really was?

Rin's dream (her pov) 

I woke up inside my room. The first thing I noticed, was that everything had been destroyed. I wasn't even sleeping in a bed anymore, rather I was sprawled across the floor—kami only knows how I fell asleep in this position, but that was a different matter. I still remembered everything about the poison and I wondered why I didn't feel any pain. Did M'lord not tell me that I would suffer from a great deal of pain? Come to think of it, how did I get back to the castle.

Perhaps I died and he brought me back again? No, no, last time I was dead, I saw nothingness…only a little white light. There's no way I'm dead, I still have a body—don't I? I pinched myself for good measure. "Wow, that hurt." I mumbled as I looked down at the scratch which was surprisingly rather deep for a pinch.

I looked down at my hands. Oh, I have claws! That's right! Sesshomaru-sama was going to turn me into a full demon! Wonder why I didn't notice the fluffy when I woke up. Well, I guess I should figure out what's going on…

As I walked down the hallway, though, the castle seemed completely empty. There were no noises of any sort…and I have demon senses now! Not that I knew how to use them, but if someone had been anywhere in my wing, I should be able to smell them, right? There was nothing. Come to think of it, these doors look strange. Why don't I recognize them?

This is too creepy. Maybe someone will hear me if I call them? "Lord Sesshomaru? Master Jaken? Where is everyone? And what on earth is happening?"

But soon, I heard something, though it was the farthest thing from what I wanted to hear. There were many footsteps behind me, and I knew them at once to be those of the castle servants. But they were not friendly.

"Kill the orphan girl!" one of them yelled, bringing back memories of days I hoped to forget. " She is a disgrace to the inu-youkai clan! Just like that Izayoi woman!"

"Death to all humans who dare raise themselves above us!" another yelled. It wasn't long before all of them were yelling things like that. They were not yet in view of me, but I knew they were coming. Though I was a demon, I didn't yet know of how to fight. All I could do was run from them.

And so that's what I did. I ran…and ran…and ran. But I got nowhere. And now, the servants were upon me, claws, teeth, and any other weapon he or she possessed was raised and ready to strike. But suddenly I heard my voice. "LORD SESSHOMARU!" That was most possibly the loudest sound that had ever come from my mouth and I did it without even thinking!

But there was no time to think about it. Almost immediately, I saw the one man who I was certain was not in the castle. I couldn't believe it, but there, in all his radiant glory, stood my lord Sesshomaru.

Well, who's first thought _wouldn't_ be that he was here to rescue me? So I thanked kami that he had come to my aid. But not within two seconds, he was facing towards me. I looked to his eyes to find anything in them at all, but they were just as they once were. It had been years since I had seen my lord so emotionless. He was not kind or caring or helpful, but he looked at me with the same malice and hatred which he would show to one such as his brother or Naraku. Never had I _ever_ seen him look at me like that. And to tell the truth, it frightened me. (A/N: who wouldn't be?)

"You—human creature! What are you doing here?"

"B-but m'lord! It's me! Do you not recognize your servant?" I paid no attention to the fact he called me a human when I was truly a demon.

"You speak foolishness! What kind of youkai lord would allow a human to serve under him?"

"Y-you would, m'lord! I've been your servant for thirteen years. Why do you not recognize me?"

"A filthy human such as yourself? And an orphan at that! You're disgusting, mortal!"

It became clear to me at that moment that I was not going to talk him out of his rage as I had in the past. Perhaps me choosing to stay here over marrying another was indeed foolish. But I could have sworn that m'lord would allow me to stay as long as I so desired. I just hoped that…well, that perhaps he loved me too. But I see now I was wrong. Memories of my village days were swimming back to me full-force now, and I couldn't take the blame much longer.

I began running again, and this time I was moving—and at an alarmingly fast rate. Well, I _was_ a demon after all, I should have known my speed would enhance as his did. I ran, and ran until my body could take it no more. It seemed I could not leave the castle gate, so I sought refuge at my favorite place—my old room.

It was always a comfort for me to see everything Lord Sesshomaru had provided for me in my days of youth. I always had the room kept as it was the day I moved out of it, and I even had m'lord put silencing spells on the room and vanishing spells on the door so I could stay here and not be known to anyone if I so desired. Even he did not know when I came to this room, nor did he ever try to find out. He'd always let it be my business and mine alone. Therefore, it was the perfect hiding place.

I entered the room and said the incantations to hide the large room from knowledge, then sat down on my old bed and began to cry.

Cry. Now that's something I rarely do. Only when I'm truly upset, many times being when m'lord asks something of me, such as why I choose to stay. I feel bad that I must lie to him. I could never tell him that I love him, and this proves it. He wants me gone for good. I should have known that I was just a disgraceful mortal of a woman. I must have forgotten over the years how much he hated the human race. Even though I was demon, I guess you could say my heart was still the same as my human one. Didn't that mean that I was only a half of a demon? Just in appearance and strength, not in emotions. And now, I'll pay for my foolishness. "Perhaps my life is truly useless." I mumbled to my self. "Why do you hate me so, my Sesshomaru-sama? Why would you wish to kill me? Even if I am just a weak human, I can still serve you. I can still repay my debt!" I screamed this through my tears. I figured he could not hear me because of the spells, but I guess I was wrong.

He barged through the door, whipping his poison claws around the room, destroying anything in their path. He deliberately missed me, I know.

"M'lord?"

"Get up, you pathetic excuse of a being!" He snarled and I wasted no time in doing so. "You have put enough shame on these lands!" And with that, Tokijin was shot straight through my heart in one swift motion. "Sess-ho-(cough)ma-ru, how (cough) could you?" I whispered, my hand out-stretched to him, but not going anywhere near him as he took a step back. As my eyes glazed over, the last thing I saw was the hateful glint in his eye, stating proudly that he was done.

End Rin's dream (back to Kag's POV)

And just then, she spoke. "Sess-ho(cough)ma-ru, how (cough) could you?" And with that, her breathing stopped and her eyes glazed over, the pain still evident in her eyes.

A/N: Oooooh, I'm bad! Poor Rin, will she ever be okay again? Well, you'll have to wait 'till the next chappie to find out. But don't worry. I'm on a writing spree now that I got this going again and so the next chappie will be up tomorrow. If it's not, you have permission to kill me. :holds up right hand: I promise these people can kill me if I don't update tomorrow :puts hand down: well alrighty then. Very sorry it's short, but if it wnet any longer, well, our little problem would again solve itself, now wouldn't it.

Anyways, R&R now! No funny stuff cuz this chappie was kinda sad and morbid.

But…

Will Tensaiga work? Will Rin be able to realize that it was a dream? Does she still trust him with her life? And will we finally get some fluff between our favorite lord and lady? Fin out in chappie 15!


	17. Chapter 15: Fluffiness with Fluffy

A/N: I have finally ended the day of hell! Dear god, this has only been one of the worst freakin days in my life! I can't tell you guys everything cuz if I did, you'd be here all night just reading the a/n. Well, first, my head STILL hurts like crap. I swear, what is it that makes me feel so sick? And so I haven't been in a very stable mood since I woke up. Then, today was the day Kim was supposed to come back from New Orleans, but she didn't and now I'm really upset cuz it felt like she was the only real friend I had up here after I moved and now Mr. Ogle said that they decided to stay in New Orleans cuz her school was open again and that she wasn't coming back and she didn't even tell me! Not just me, though, everyone! No person in our little group has heard anything from her! She has ALL our e-mails, s/n's, and phone numbers! The least she could have done was call and say she wasn't coming back! I seriously have had the worst day. You can ask everyone—even the teachers—and they'd tell you that I was crying all day after that. Then a whole bunch of other crap happened and now I'm here, trying to write to you guys cuz I promised. Aren't I just a great authoress? All I wanna do is take a bath, watch Code: LYOKO, and go to bed, but I'm updating just for you guys who were nice and reviewed and cheered me up for a while, at least. But now I'm back to my depressed state, so I'm sorry if this is rather short.

REVIEW REPLIES

Clouds of the Sky- thanks for the siggestion. I plan on putting them at the end of chappies, but yesterday was an exception cuz I just felt like the chappie was too sad to put a funny thing at the end

chaotic pink chocobo- thanks! And I'll read it, sure, but what's FF7? Is that a show title? Thanks for your review!

Pon Pon Pocky- thanks! And yes, she is, at the moment, dead. But, we have Sesshy on our side! You'll find out in this chappie! -

Rabid- thanks. And that's not the place. The only other place I've been to besides The Otaku is this one, I think it's called Anime Jukebox and it has much better music, but I still have to find that one again.

Thank you guys for the great reviews. I really hope I'm not making this too short, cuz I wanna finish the Rin thing today, but hey, I said that yesterday and the whole nightmare thing popped into my head, so bear with me. So sorry if it's not my best work.

**NOTE: We will start off with Kag's POV, and will later switch to Sesshy's.**

Forget Me Not

Chapter 15

We were all standing immediately, and rushing to her aid, Sesshomaru in the lead.

I saw him look down. "She is dead." He said. Her body reeks of death, which is unusual. I must use Tensaiga now.

He pulled out the old sword and swept it across the girl, but while the imps disappeared, she did not wake. All the sudden, he sat down and leaned against the wall, his eyes closing. I had never seen him do that before, but I'm sure he had a good reason. Soon, Tensaiga vanished as he fell asleep. (A/N: he's asleep, not dead)

Sesshy's POV 

There was one last idea with me—one that was so dangerous, I dared not even consider it. That is…until now. The girl, she refuses to wake from the dead. It is her will to stay. While I respect this decision, I must find out why she lied to me.

I took myself to the afterworld—or more so, the crossover between the Earth and the afterlife. It was pitch black inside, and it was hard to see anything at all, even for me. Thank the gods that I was able to make it here unharmed, but going back will be worse. I just hope she has enough strength to make it.

I walked through the darkness. There was no border, it seemed, and the darkness went on for eternity. But, I still had my hearing and nose, so I was able to find her quickly in all of the other spirits I could sense around me. She was just sitting there crying. She _never_ cries. Never have I seen her anyway. I'm sure she does it, but not anywhere near the time she spends with me. She probably hides in that old room of hers…ah well, back to the now.

"Rin."

The girl looked up at me with confusion. I wondered if she could sense my sadness, for her gaze, which I could now clearly see, was one of shock and almost of horror.

"Go away." She mumbled. I in my life had never heard _anyone_ tell me to 'go away', and she was the one I expected it least from.

"What is wrong, Rin?" I asked, trying to keep my cool, but it was not helping. The girl's tears struck something inside of me and I could not bear the stench any longer.

"What's wrong? _What's wrong_! You betrayed me, chased me out of the only home I'd ever known, and then killed me without any look of regret whatsoever and now you've come back wanting to know _what's wrong_!"

That was it then, the girl had finally lost it! "I did no such thing! Do you honestly think I would kill you? That potion made you delusional or something! You were in pain and then you fell asleep for a near day and now you're here."

"No! We were in the castle and you along with all the servants were chasing me, saying I was disgraceful and an orphan of a mortal! I don't care, Sesshomaru, you can do whatever you want to me to get me out or your castle, but why do you come back to torture me longer?"

"I came here, girl, to save you because _you_ refused to wake from the dead. I risked my life for you! And I sure as hell won't ever throw you out of _our_ castle and I sure as hell won't kill you or insult you, and why the hell would I sick my servants on you? If I wanted you dead, which I don't, I would have killed you a long time ago _myself_."

"But…"

"Listen Rin, I don't know what happened to you, I didn't even know you could dream in so much pain and not feel a thing, but it was probably some side affect of the damn potion!" I calmed down a bit. "Why would I want you dead if I came here to help you live?"

I bent down beside her and for the first time since the day I brought her back to life, I put my arms around her shoulders. (A/N: not including being carried bridal style)

"You will never understand how much I care for you, Rin, you really won't. I promise you, I would never harm you. Do you trust me?"

"Yes, but…"

"No buts then. Do you still wish to live on?"

"Yes, milord."

"Well, let's go. But, what did I say about calling me that? You are _not_ below me, especially now. You are a demon just as I am, and a very pretty demon as well." I smiled at her as I lifted her up bridal style. This girl does not seem to understand that I love her. My smiles I save for her, she is the only one who receives them, and she will be the only one I'll love. So be it if she leaves, but I will never love another.

"Rin, are you positive you wish to go back? If you are not entirely sure, the barrier between worlds will reject you and send you straight to hell."

"Yes m-, oooops, Sesshomaru." I watched her smile as well. With no doubt in my mind about her, I looked down. What possessed me to say this now, I will never know—here in the realm of the dead—but I did. "Rin, do you love me?"

Her breath caught in her throat. She was struggling for the right words, I knew, and she was seriously considering lying to me. But eventually she just blushed, nodded, and looked away.

We had stopped our treck to the exit and were now in a place where there were no spirits around us. I smiled, though she didn't see it through her turned head, and placed my claws on her chin so I could turn her head.

She flinched, though. Perhaps she thought I would harm her for saying her feelings. I did turn her head and looked into her eyes. (A/N: Awwwwww)

"Do you still fear my touch?"

"No, I just…"

"Just thought I'd hurt you? Never would I think of it even. I cannot bear to see you so frightened of me. Whatever that dream was, it didn't happen."

"But…"

"Do you need proof?" I leaned down to her head and gave her a quick kiss. It was over within seconds, though I felt the sparks so many claim to have felt, and be her gaze, she felt it too.

"Milord?"

"No more of this, Rin. No more putting yourself beneath me. Even if we do not mate, or 'get married' as you humans put it, you will still be our Lady, as you have been for the past thirteen years."

"But you don't…"

"Don't what? Love you? You know nothing of what I feel for you. But I do, Rin, I do love you. Hell, I probably have since the day you came into my life and just didn't realize it."

"But…"

"Need more proof?" I bent down yet again and kissed her, though this one lasted mych longer. I wouldn't call it passionate or deep. Just a kiss filled with love, for her.

"Do you still doubt, Rin? Do you still think I would _ever_ harm you?"

She smiled yet again. "No, Sesshomaru, I don't."

"Well then, let's get going. The others probably think I'm dead as well." I laughed…oh hell, what has happened to me? _I laughed_? So maybe my human-gone-demon here has softened me more than I would have thought.

She was looking at me strangely again. "You laughed?"

"Well, I suppose I did. See how much you've changed me? Just don't tell my brother, ok? That I laughed, I mean. He'll find everything our soon enough, but for now we'll just keep it away from him. But feel free to tell the girls…it'll give you things to chat about." Hey, don't take me for an idiot! I know what girls squeal over.I'll just let them have fun while they can."

We both laughed. I was beginning to think things were going to lighten up around our little group. And I was happy.


	18. Chapter 16: A Fight for Fluff

A/N: 100 REVIEWS! ya'll totally rock::hugs faithful reviewers: and thank you to Spud for being the 100th!

Well, I have single-handedly survived the week from hell! Yay me! Sorry I haven't updated in about a week (again) but don't blame me—in fact, you can help me! You see, AOL was being a butthead and wouldn't let us log on all weekend so I thought, 'let's go strangle all the people from AOL who should go out of business anyways cuz they all suck and can't do anything right' and ya'll can come and help me! Yay for killing AOL people!

REVIEW REPLIES:

JonniBelindaandInuyasha- the ceremonial party dance? Sounds like fun! Am I invited? Anyways, thanks for reviewing…TWICE! Yay, me love people like you::hug:

peugeot306- thanks!

magicgirl145852- lol! That's great! It made me giggle! Thank you so much! Murphey's law…did you know that there's a law that states that something half the size of a butterfly's wing can cause a typhoon half way around the world? Yeah, that came up as a random topic in English class…but twas funny! (I thought anyway). Thanks again, you really know how to cheer me up. -

Spud- YAY, MY 100TH REVIEWER! Thank you sooooooooooo much. Me luv you::hug:

Pon Pon Pocky- awwwww, thank you! I have happy news though…Kim called me—finally! But yeah, I hate trying the whole long-distance thing cuz my AIM is an idiot and my mom freaks when I use the phone for long distance stuffs…but thank you! -

THE-REAL-MYSTIC- Yay! Thank you!

Kawaii Bell- thanks! I try to make Sesshy as close to his character as possible (key word- try) but that just had to be done! I was getting tired of trying to make him something I don' think he should be and now I can have my fun with him! - Glad you liked it.

chaotic pink chocobo- cool. It sounds like a great game, and I'll probably end up playing it once I can find it somewhere to rent and get my PS2 up to this house…but there are so many of them! Do I need to play FF 1-6 first? Cuz with my horribleness at games I'll be 50 before I beat the 1st one! What is a chocobo? It sounds really cute! Is it fluffy? But yes, definitely on my 'buy' list for when I get enough money. And thank you! I did, and my bath really made me happy—that is, until I tried to get online later and AOL wouldn't let me on and I screamed at my computer and went to bed. Lol, but yes, My baths always work…oh, random thought! Code: LYOKO comes on in 15 minutes! (again) I love the new eppies! Anyways, I've rambled enough to you, so thanks for the long and nice review! 0

Raven2evil- thanks!

Clouds of the Sky- lol, yes, I could never let my favorite character die! (nor my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th favs either, but you'll se who they are soon enough. Well, 3 is Sesshy, duh he's alive, but the other 2 I won't either). Thanks! -

Well, that's all 11 of 'em! Thank you guys so much! I love it when you guys review, especially when I'm having a really bad day and you guys are always there to cheer me up! - And this week is going so much better! Even though I had to spend the day in ISS cuz I had my damn cell phone on in school on Friday. But I blame that as being last week. Not that it was that bad…it was actually kind of nice to be able to do my work without the whispering behind me…and I got caught up on my reading in To Kill a Mockingbird! So, I'm having a good week! And I found another funny to bring to school for my friend Jason to read! (But another author wrote it and I don't wanna get in trouble for putting it on here without her permission. You can go read it for yourself though, it's called A Twisted Illness, and it's be Mimblewimble. It's where I find a lot of funny stuff. Even if you don't read the story, just go through the chappies and read the funny stuff at the bottom of them. She skips it sometimes though, so just go through all of them. And she used the lightbulb challenge too.)

Well, I'm gonna go watch Code: LYOKO, so I'll be back in 30 mins to actually start the story!

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…

…

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IIIIIIIIIII'MMMMMMM BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! Yeah, Ok, on with the story!

Oh yeah, music. Go to theotaku to get these, I'll be changing in th middle, but I'll tell ya when. Not so sure about this one, you might wanna find one yourselves, but this makes the beginning seem at least semi-funny. #1- "Catbus" from My Neighbor Totoro god, that movie rocks! It's for little kids more than teens like me, but I still love it, seeing as how I first watched it in second grade…ok, enough rambling—on with the show!

NOTE I am starting after Sesshy and Rin are back and ok and whatnot. Pretend everyone went to sleep cuz they were so exhausted and now they're waking up. And oh yeah, Kag's POV again. Sorry I'm skipping around so much. Tell me in a review if you think I should just have it like an outsider's POV from now on…

Forget Me Not

Chapter 16

Geez, I must have been asleep for days, I was up for all that time, but still, I never sleep this long! Not since before I came to the Feudal Era in the first place. The warm arms snaked around me were beginning to get familiar to me as I woke up and I was thankful. No more jumping out of my skin every time I realized I wasn't alone like I should have been. Hojo left for work so early….

Which reminded me… I still need to go back. Mama and Sota will know where I am, but no one else will. I'll be all over the news while Hojo pretends to care. That jerk, he probably wants me home just so he can hurt me again, well, I've got news for him. Or more like Inuyasha does… Not that my hanyou will need any encouraging to kill the perverted bastard.

Wait, what am I saying? Hojo's not perverted! Is he? He probably is… he's probably been cheating on me too… but like I said, Inuyasha's on my side now. Teehee. Wow, I really am turning into Inuyasha, or his old self. Revenge? Killing? God, two weeks ago I was too depressed to even speak to the guy and now I wanna kill him? Oi, I think I need more sleep.

"Kagome…Kagome…"

No such luck. "What?" I mumbled to Inuyasha who I had a good feeling was hovering over me trying to wake me up.

"Up. Now."

"Why? So tired…"

"You've been asleep for eighteen hours! (A/N: I sleep 18 hrs all the time! Probably more sometimes! Lol, I'm lazy.) I've never seen you sleep so much, even when your sick!"

"WHAT?" I shot straight upward, accidentally crashing into his head which, despite his demon instincts, hadn't been able to move out of the way fast enough.

"Owowowowowow, what was that for?"

"I'VE BEEN ASLEEP FOR EIGHTEEN HOURS AND NO ONE BOTHERED TO WAKE ME UP UNTIL NOW!"

"Hey, it's not like I didn't try. You've been out like a log all night! You didn't so much as roll over during the time I tried to wake you up!"

"Well ya coulda tried harder!"

"How?"

"You could always drop me."

"You think I'd hurt you to get you up?"

"Well you could, it does work…"

"No way would I hurt you ever and you know it!"

"Well, pour water on me or something!"

"We don't have any water!"

"What'd'ya mean we don't have water? There's a stream just out the door!"

"Like I'd leave you alone! Look what happened last time I did! You didn't come back to me!"

"If I didn't come back to you then explain how I'm here! And who said _you_ had to leave? We do have three other people in this hut ya know!"

"Humph! Ok, so you came back! It only took ya _ten years_! And no one else is here! Sango went to play or something and who knows where my brother and his girl went, probably somewhere to make out in private."

"If I thought you wanted me back here, ya think I woulda taken ten years? Besides, it's not like I knew I could come back! And what about you? You should have come to get me, seeing as how you were the reason I left in the first place, you and your stupid wish!"

"My wish is stupid, huh? What if I sent you back to your time all those years ago cuz it was a silly wish for you to graduate that 'skool' place! What if I thought it was a 'silly wish' for you to go see your family?"

"Sit! Sit sit sit sit sit! How can you say _that_ was silly?"

"What the hell was that for? And how can you say _my_ wish was stupid? At least I had a reason to! I just wanted to fit in somewhere!"

"You think I didn't have a reason? Inuyasha, if I didn't have a reason I wouldn't have gone back in the first place! But I'm glad I did cuz I never would have survived in my world if I had dropped out like I wanted to! And you _did_ fit in someplace!"

"Since when did you want to 'drop out' of it? That was the only thing you ever talked about! And don't you think I _know _I fit in someplace? Why the hell do you think I changed my mind about my wish?"

"Ugh, I've had enough of this! SIT!" I stormed out of the hut towards the forest. Not like I wanted to go home or anything, I just thought I'd scare my hanyou a bit.

I heard him off in the distance calling me, but I didn't stop. I wanted him to think I was mad at him and I was doing a pretty good job of it if I do say so myself! I knew it wouldn't take long for him to find me.

I stopped at the sacred tree and waited for him…and waited…and waited…until I couldn't take it anymore! Why on earth wasn't he coming? Something in my stomach began to turn as I wondered what could possibly keep him from finding me. After a lot of thought, I decided to go back to him and turned towards the village again to find him. But if this is some kind of trick, he's going to pay for it by being sat to hell!

Oh god, we're back to our old selves! He's not all depressed and kind now. YAY, I have my hanyou back again! My mean, rude, selfish, arrogant, egotistical hanyou has come back to me!

(Change Music to "Toki o Koeru Omoi" under INUYASHA. Yay, I found this song! I love it!)

But when I entered the hut, all my happy thoughts vanished. He was sad again, it seemed, and he was surprised that I was there apparently. "I thought you left me again."

Ok, now if _that_ didn't make me feel guilty, I didn't know what would. "Why would I leave you again? Do you not remember me telling you how I've lived through hell waiting for you these years? Do you honestly think I'd leave you for that kind of life again? Without even telling you? I was just by the tree waiting for you to find me so I could say how happy I was that I had my old hanyou back fighting with me again."

I hugged him yet again. This kind of attitude was going to drive me insane! I could only take so much teariness from him! Sure most girls might like the sensitive guy, but not me. I've been around Inuyasha so long, he's made me want to be around someone who yells at me on a regular basis. And just think, I've been married to Hojo! I've put up with this for too long. "Can we please stop the pathetic act Inuyasha? You know I love you too much to see you like this all the time. I'm back, so shouldn't you be out of your depression like I am? I thought you'd be the first one out of it, really. Where's the Inuyasha who did nothing but get mad at me for running off? Now you get all sad and think I've left you for good."

"Like I didn't think you'd left for good before to."

"You did?"

"I thought that was rather obvious seeing as how I always tried to pull you back."

"Well, I knew you wanted me back here, but did you honestly think I wouldn't ever come back? I always loved that you fought with me. I just went home after arguments to lose some steam so I didn't accidentally purify you in my anger and to just be home for a day or so. I had every intention of coming back, back I always waited for you to come cuz it meant that you still wanted me and not Kikyo."

"You thought I liked Kikyo?"

"How could I not? You always left to talk to her, and I can't even count the times you held her and told her you'd always be there for her and protect her even though she didn't want it."

He started laughing a bit at this, which made me smile too, even though we were in one of the touchier subjects between the two of us. "Stupid. How many times did I hold you? How many times did I swear to protect you? How many times did I protect you? And then look at how many times I did Kikyo. I still owed her something, sure, but it sure as hell wasn't anything near what I felt for you."

"But you almost went to hell with her."

"I only said that once, and I only said I was willing to, not that I wanted to. And _you_ had just left after another fight and I again thought you wouldn't come back cuz I pissed you off so bad. Maybe I said things I didn't mean, but how many times has that happened before? I'm not exactly good with feelings, ya know. But I'd always come back to you."

"Hehe, you were just like a puppy coming back to his master."

"HEY!"

"There we go, now you're back to your old self again. And I promise I won't leave you again. I'll die if I do, I swear. I'll probably end up killing myself when I go insane with depression again, I couldn't stand it any more. But…"

"But what?"

"You know we have to go back…you know, to come up with some excuse as to why my daughter and I just feel off the face of the planet. And to get some necessities. I bet you missed your ramen, huh?"

His eyes opened wide and he started drooling…just a little. "Ramen! Ramen! Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!" He chanted like a little boy waiting for his ice cream cone. It was quite cute really. But then he seemed to come to his senses. "You can't go back after what he did to you! What if he does it again and I don't find you until it's too late?"

"Oh come on, who said anything about leaving without you? Like I'd really go back to that idiot without my 'great protector' there beside me just in case."

"Can I kill him?"

"Hmmm, I'd love for you to, but unfortunately we can't leave a man in the back of my shrine torn to shreds. I'll let you hurt him though, but only if he hurts me first, or tries to. But if we can get him to this side of the well without causing too much commotion, you can do whatever you want to him. But first you're gonna use that nose of yours to find out what he's been doing out so late at night." I tapped his nose lightly. "But you're on your own if Sango freaks, got it? But don't worry, she just can't see it. As much as I hate lying to her, it'd be better to tell her that he ended up in jail and we're not allowed to visit him. If she grows up here, she won't ever have to learn that anyone could visit someone in jail."

"You're actually giving me permission to kill him?"

"Sure. I mean, why not? It's how we've lived 'till now—someone even lays a harmful finger on me and you kill him. Hojo did something way worse than Koga or Sesshomaru did to me here and he deserves to die for it. He just can't die in my era or my poor family will never hear the end of questioning and courtrooms."

"You're serious. You _want_ me to kill Hojo. No fighting? No arguing? No speech on how it's wrong to kill someone?"

"No. I said you can't kill them cuz they didn't do anything. Well, Hojo did something—something that deserves punishment. And my first witness of your strength in ten years can be the killing of someone I've wanted dead for a long time."

"But that's just so…so unlike you, Kagome."

His words flashed through my mind. "I know. But I can't help but think it. Does that make me a bad priestess? A bad person? That I want someone dead for something as little as scratching me? I don't wanna be a bad person but..but" I was crying now. Just the thought of failing at the only thing I'd ever been good at was enough to make me want to hide away from the world again. "Am I bad because I want my husband dead for getting drunk once?"

He was panicking. He had never been good with crying girls, especially not me. Well, I was the only crying girl he'd ever had to deal with probably…well, except his mom, but that was different. He was obviously trying to think of something to do. "Shhh, calm down, calm down. You're not a bad person. You're not a bad priestess. You have a reason and it's a good reason too, to want him dead. Anger doesn't make you a bad person." His voice was calming, but still a little frantic, as if hoping I'd listen to him and calm down before he ran out of ideas.

"I am a bad person. I always have been. I'm stupid and clumsy and hateful and I don't deserve to live! For god's sake, I wasted ten years of my life wishing I was something I wasn't! It's always my fault! No one cares about me. How can I blame them? I'm just a selfish, stupid, clu-"

I was silenced from my rant by his lips against mine. I guess he'd run out of semi-comforting phrases and decided the next best thing was needed. I was still crying, but I had stopped trying to talk and relaxed into the kiss, trying to deepen it. I opened my mouth just a little and his tongue found it's way inside. Involuntarily my tongue seemed to know what to do and I lost track of all it's moving, only now concentrating on how great it felt to kiss Inuyasha like this, something I'd never dome before.

All too soon we had to break for air and he pulled me into him as he had so many times before. He lifted my face up to look at his and he slowly kissed away all of the now-dry tears that were on my cheeks. I must have looked surprised or shocked or maybe a little disbelieving. The whole conversation had me doubting his love for me if I wasn't the sweet little priestess he'd known all those years ago. I actually wanted someone dead—really truly dead—and it made me feel like I was the most tainted, evil person in the world. How anyone could love me was beyond my comprehension.

He looked at me. "You're not stupid." He kissed the part of my hair. "You're not selfish." He kissed my forehead. "You're not clumsy." He kissed my cheek, "or hateful," he kissed the other one, "or tainted," now to my nose, "or awful in any way," And Finally my lips, but only briefly. "Hating one person more than anything else in the world is nothing to be ashamed of. And do you still believe that no one cares for you? What about your mom, or Sota, or your daughter? How about Rin, Shippo, Sango, Miroku, me, maybe even Sesshomaru? You are one of the most loved people in Japan, Kagome, so don't ever think like that again."

I couldn't help but smile. "Now there's my Kagome again." He said and kissed me once again. "And you know that's one reason why I love you. You're strong and happy and pure and you always believe in yourself. Remember when we first met and you were so determined to prove that you could shoot a bow just as well as Kikyo, even though you needed a lot more practice? That's part of what makes you Kagome."

"Thanks, I-" Then his words dawned on me. 'That's why I love you.' "You said you loved me."

"Well yeah. Thought that was kinda obvious, though. Did you really need to be told?"

"Well no, and yes. See, we can't be a couple unless we confess our love for each other, right? So now it's official."

"So, I just pretty much made out with you and we weren't officially 'together' even though we'd just spent the past ten years in depression because we weren't together?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Well that's stupid."

I smiled. "And now I have m old Inuyasha back who says cute yet rude things all the time."

"How is my rudeness cute?"

"It just is."

"Well, I'll chose to ignore that comment for now."

"Ok."

We sat in a comfortable silence for a while. "Hey Kagome?"

"Yeah?"

"When were you planning on going back?"

"Maybe tomorrow, why?"

"Just wondering."

And with that, we were silent again, just realizing for the first time that we had just who we loved back.

A/N: Well, how was that for long and fluffy, hmmm? Hope you enjoyed. Please R&R.

Sorry if that seemed a little sappy or maybe kinda pointless, but I really didn't plan it like this, it just wrote itself. So, hope you guys liked your second fluff-filled chappie.

Next chappie- Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sango return to the present era where we have a few new people to frighten with Inuyasha and maybe a couple more to take back with us! - See ya then!


	19. Chapter 17: Anger and Explinations

A/N: Yay, I'm finally updating! Dear kami my life has been freakin busy! Oct/Nov/Dec are always my busiest months, but nothing like this! But hopefully now things will start to slow down, at least school-wise. We had our last competition in band on Saturday, but we got straight 2's, and is Mr. Stone ticked! God, we were supposed to have finished marching band after it since we don't have anything else really big to practice for with it and go straight into concert band, but he's so mad at us, he's gonna make us march the rest of the semester for no reason other than to make us 'understand how much better we could have done'. GRRRRR::grabs keyboard cuz it's the nearest object and I need to tear something in half really bad and, you guessed it, rips it in half. Walks to nearest computer store to buy new keyboard: ok, now that that little thing is away…

So sorry that last chappie probably wasn't what you guys really wanted, but it just kinda wrote itself and it took me three frickin hours to type it up, so it's not like I was about to erase it. But I was just thinking today, I think I've been working on this story longer than all my others, since it's been going for a lot longer than I thought it was. I started this before school, before Kim, before I met all the cool/awesome/neat people up here! Yay, that makes me happy. But I had a good day today cuz I walked with Jordan to the community center and stuff. Brandi came into it a little and so did his friends, but not for all the time. It was so much fun! And I was proved correct in my theory when I said that Dance Dance Revolution and I don't mix too well. This little girl beat my score and did it better than me! Not like I'm dissing little girls, but it was just—strange. And she kept following me and rubbing it in my face, too.

Anyways, review time!

REVIEW REPLIES

Sesshomaru'sHOT- lol, yes Hobo is a very popular name for our least fav schoolboy in the world! But it's more fun to call Kikyo Kinki-ho. It makes her sound funny! And yes, 10 years is a long time, but it makes for the whole plot! Besides, you know Inu when he gets in one of his 'Kagome hates me' moods. And, of course, vice versa. And I know what you mean about life without inu! God, it deprived me so much! But I had to spend the SUMMER without inu fanfiction except for the 2 I'd printed off! Oh, god I died. I really died I think. My mind left me and the first thing I did was go to ASAP when we got our new computer. Thanks for the review! -

micael m- lol, here's your update! So sorry it wasn't sooner.

skystar- cool! Yeah, allergies suck! I hate them and I curse them daily. Grrr, my mission in life will be to destroy all allergies/sinus infections! I play clarinet in band. I know everyone says it's the easiest to march with (which it is) but it's still just as much work unless you're in percussion or play tuba. And a drum major! Cool! My friend Sam wants to be one, so I hear practically everything about being a drum major. He even told us why our drum major got marked down in competition. Not to mention I now know every style of directing I think is possible…but yeah. Anyways…I'm rambling again. Glad you liked it! -

Raven2evil- thanks! His dialogue? Not exactly sure I know what you mean by that, do you mean he's OOC? Please tell me and I'll try to fix it.

Clouds of the Sky- thanks

Pon Pon Pocky- hopefully very, very soon. I meant to bring them in right after she got back, but one thing led to another and now I'm planning on not bringing them into the pic until after (or maybe during) our revenge plots on Hobo. But I have a couple more things I'll probably add in Kag's time before that happens because if I do the stuff in her time, I'd be bringing them into the pic and then just forgetting about them for a while longer. I'm sorry it's taking so long, but I do have them worked into the later plots so they will be around within maybe 5-6 chappies I think, but don't take my word for it. And thanks. Yeah, but what I find the hardest is realizing what tense I'm writing in before I get so far into it and can't change it. I really feel like these chappies have gone from present to both to past and now I don't know what to write anymore! But I do that even when I'm not doing POV's. But they are hard to do. And Thanks! -

chaotic pink chocobo- thanks! I think I may get a chance to at least see someone else play it this weekend cuz I'm going to my friend Jordan's b-day party and he's mentioned a whole bunch of game systems he's planning on hooking up so we can all play them. Not like I'm any good at RPG's, but it'll still be fun! I know he has the game cuz I printed off all my reviews and showed them to him during lunch cuz he wanted to read them. The first thing he did was ask if you got your name from FF7. - Thanks for the great review as always!

Ok, on with the story!

Forget Me Not

Chapter 17

We set off early the next morning, just Inuyasha and I. Just in case something did happen with Hojo, we wanted to be careful. She gave me a list of all the things she wanted me to bring back. I'd have to tell her later _why_ there was no TV on this side of the well and that I could not bring that, the computer, and the game systems back because there would be no use for them. I knew she was not going to adapt to no electrical stuff soon, so I decided the Game Boy could come since it ran on batteries…and that was _it_.

Before I knew it, we were on the other side of the well, looking out toward the shrine. "Wasn't there a hut over the well, Kagome?" he asked me, obviously very confused and not quite understanding the fact that ten years had past so things had changed.

"There was, but it was torn down."

"Why?"

"It just was. First the house was built around it to keep the rain out. We'd assumed it had been there for as long as the well had, but after I went to your time, there wasn't anything over it and yet it was still kept dry somehow, so it served no purpose but to get in the way and serve as a larger target to draw my attention toward the thing I was trying to forget about."

"So will you rebuild it?"

"No. There'd be no point to it. Besides, if I rarely ever come here anymore it won't make a difference." We were at the back door now, ready to go in, but I found the house was locked. "Shit." I swore. That was, as far as I could remember, the first time I had sworn in front of Inuyasha. I'd picked up the habit from him, though I never said them out loud until I thought the well was sealed.

"Can't we use the window?"

"Hmmm, maybe. But I rarely leave them open and Hojo's probably locked them too." He wasn't really paying attention to me, I noticed, since he had jumped up to the window that used to be mine and was now Sango's.

He opened it, which surprised me. I was sure Hojo would have thought of us climbing through the window to sneak in unnoticed, but I guess the idiot really is as dumb as he acts.

Inuyasha jumped down long enough to pick me up and was through the window in no time. The first thing I noticed was that the room was no longer the light pink color it had been. There were no posters of cute white puppies on the walls and the bed was entirely gone, as was the TV and bookshelf.

In fact, the place looked like an office. It had dark blue walls and had a large desk with a computer on it. There were pictures of many people on it, no of whom I recognized. Perhaps Hojo had sold the shrine to someone, but in the short amount of time I had been gone it seemed near impossible. It was as if Sango and I had never existed.

Inuyasha seemed very impatient about something, though I knew there was no one in the house and he knew that packing any faster would not mean we'd be back in less time. But he seemed to notice my confusion.

"Inuyasha," I asked, "how well do you remember Hojo's scent?"

"Do you think I'd _forget_ that bastard's scent? I may have only met the guy once, but that doesn't mean I can't remember my rival's scent."

"How fresh is it?"

"He's been gone since this morning."

Now I was getting angry. I tore down the hall toward what was my room for the past seven years. It had changed quite a bit as well. This was not the same place I had lived all my life. It was different and though I couldn't for the life of me understand why, there seemed to be an evil aura around the normally pure shrine. Not evil as in Naraku evil, just as though something evil had been done. Much more than just hitting me like he had.

I couldn't stand to look or be near this place any longer. I grabbed my old yellow backpack which had been left in the feudal era all these years and started searching for any sign that I had ever lived here. There were no clothes, no videogames, no books, nothing. I had nothing to take back! Well, Mama could help with that, I guess. I always left extras at her house just for when Sango and I decided to visit.

"Inuyasha, we're going to find my mother." I said this with anger still plastered all over my face. I was glad Inuyasha had chosen not to comment on my anger. He looked like he knew something though—something he didn't want to tell me. But I figured the knowledge would only make me madder and he was afraid of my temper still.

"Tell me what you know." I somewhat snapped. I didn't mean to, I just kind of did. I needed to vent my anger on something and I would soon destroy the entire house, I knew. "I won't get mad at you or say 'it'."

"Well, it's not just his scent…there's someone else…" I stopped him from saying anything else. I understood perfectly. Hojo was still living in the house. He ha found someone else. That was why the aura surrounding the shrine was so defiled. The true shrine master or mistress, or at least a blood relative, had to be living in the house at all times. Of course, the fact that he cheated on me didn't help it too much, but when he brought her here the shrine knew that I was no longer living here.

I scowled and somehow managed to rip the bedspread into small pieces. (A/N: dunno if that, or many other things I'll mention, is possible, but just go with the flow. Yes, she's OOC, but have you guys ever felt just so awful you wished you could tear the world apart? Yeah, well, that's what she wants to do.) I didn't care anymore. These were not my things, and the one who they did belong to deserved every shred to be done to him instead. I punched the wall several times, denting them in the process, and ripped everything from the closet and threw it across the floor. Feeling done for the moment, I turned to Inuyasha, ready to get away before I got even angrier. He looked shocked to say the least, but he seemed to understand and just picked me up and carried me away from the house.

Inuyasha's POV 

I watched quietly, and slightly disturbed, from the corner of the room as I watched Kagome throw a fit inside what was obviously Hojo and his new-found mate's room. No, mate was not the right word. A creep like that should not be considered 'mated' to anyone…ever. I knew she needed to vent…a lot. She may not have loved this Homo guy, but she trusted him and he hurt her and abused her. I'd be damned if he comes out of this alive. And knowing Kagome, she'll probably be the one to seal his pathetic fate. I waited until the room was a complete mess and she looked ready to move on to another room before I tried to calm her down.

She was trying to look strong, I knew it. Kagome had always hated to be labeled as weak and would always throw a fit when someone even made reference to her being weaker than the rest of the group. Even though I knew she thought it was true, no one else did. I often had wished I could show her that her strength matched the rest of us and that she wasn't as weak as she thought, but there was no getting through to her. She had to prove it to herself…a feat she rarely felt she could do. There was no use trying to stop her from thinking that way. And trust me, I know what the hell it's like to want revenge and feel so useless and used and alone. And I also know what it's like to want to prove strength by never giving in. But if I learned even one thing from the past decade, it's that emotions aren't as weakening as I perhaps thought they were.

I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her, trying to calm her down. I felt her relax in my embrace and the anger turned to tears right in front of me.

Kagome's POV 

Not long after my rant started, I realized there was nothing left for me to destroy in this room, and I readied myself for the next room, and the next, until the entire house would be nothing but rubble by my own hands. It was driving me crazy with the knowledge of what that bastard, if that, had done to me. Oh, he was gonna regret the day he'd been born, and especially the day he thought he could woo me into loving him.

My breathing was angered and I could tell Inuyasha was a little surprised at me, and probably my strength too…I always was the weak one. I wondered why he let me go on without trying to calm me, but figured it must have had something to do with how he's felt in the past. Maybe he knows the feeling…

I was just about to dart out of the room and to the next one when I finally felt those strong, comforting, protecting arms wrap around me, pulling me back into the real world. My anger seemed to just melt into tears and before I knew it my head was buried in his haiori, muffling the sound of my tears. I couldn't believe I'd been so foolish as to believe Hojo could give me even one thing I deserved.

I couldn't tell you how long we stayed like that, just holding each other while I cried. But after a while, we broke apart, deciding it was time to visit my mother's house and explain a few things.

"Inuyasha, we need to get going." I said through the few tears that still clung to my cheeks. I needed to get away from this house, and fast.

"Right." I climbed on his back and we took off.

About 10 minutes later 

Inuyasha stopped outside a small, yet comforting house that I had visited many times before. It was more like my home than my mother's, since every time I needed to talk about my problems, this was where I would come. And that was a lot. The house was small and comforting, and was really built for only one or two people. Mom was the only one to live there since Sota was in college playing for their soccer team, and Gramps was in a retirement center, being semi-restrained from craziness over no longer possessing the shrine.

It was almost like a cottage, out and away from the busy city. There were lovely flowers, especially daffodils, planted all around it and a nice little path leading up to the door. (For those who have seen Matilda, think of Ms. Honey's cottage.) Inuyasha looked fairly shocked to say the least that Mom lived here. I guess he still figured Sota and Gramps would be here. I went up to the door and knocked lightly.

"Mama?" She looked out the window, obviously expecting me to be dragging Sango and near close to tears, but smiled when she saw Inuyasha. She quickly opened the door and ran outside. She was very close to giving Inuyasha the biggest hug ever, but seemed to decided against it and turned to me instead.

"Kagome! We all thought you'd run away for good! No one thought of the well!" She practically pushed us in the door and into chairs in the small, comfortable kitchen while she fixed the tea she always made when I came. "Now tell me. I want to know what that boy could have possibly done to you to knock some sense into you. Oh, and good to see you, Inuyasha. You know, I thought she'd never take my advice and go back."

So we explained everything to her from that night Hojo came back drunk up until I got to the feudal era and woke up. She didn't exactly need to know about Rin and Sesshomaru just yet. And then about how we came back and the house was redone. She was surprised to say the least but snapped out of it.

"Well, I'm just glad you're back to your old self again. You know, I almost thought you'd end up crazy before you decided to at least _try_ the well, but I guess I was wrong. And I hope I can look forward to a happier wedding soon." She smiled and winked at me.

"Mama!" I blushed just a little, but secretly hoped that there really would be one. Actually, there was no doubt in my mind. The past ten years should have been proof enough that we can't be apart from each other ever again.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Oh, Kagome, I almost forgot to tell you that your friends have been coming by a lot this past week trying to help me figure out where you went. That's probably them. Do you want to go get a hat for Inuyasha?"

"No Mama, I think they have a right to know. I've kept it from them long enough. And besides, I trust them enough to show them every bit of proof I have."

"Well, alright. Just be careful whom you tell. You know your friends. They still gossip just as much as they did in Jr. High. You don't want someone like Hojo finding out now do you? And just remember, they don't think anything has happened, nor could happen, with you and Hojo, alright?"

"Yes Mama."

The doorbell rang again followed by a, "Mrs. Higurashi, you here?" from Yuka, if memory served me.

"Coming, you three." She opened the door. The girls took a look around and stopped when they saw me. Somehow completely ignoring who was probably the weirdest looking man they'd ever seen, they ran straight to me, all giving me the biggest hug known to mankind (and probably demon-kind too).

I heard the three girls screaming things such as, "We thought you'd left for good," "We were so worried," and "Where did you run off to?" all at once. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Inuyasha trying to block out the deafening sounds of three screaming women.

"Alright guys, I get the point, you're happy I'm ok. Now can you please settle down? I think you're hurting Inuyasha's ears."

I saw their blank looks. "Who's Inu…" and then Eri burst out, "Hey, wasn't he that two-timing boyfriend from high school who was violent, rude, selfish, egotistical…"

"Alright Eri, we get the point." I saw Inuyasha looking confused as hell across the table and decided I should explain. "He's not any of that, ok, but yes he's the same guy." They were looking at him now, and obviously not listening to a word I said as they stared at his ears.

"Oh, he's so cute!"

"Look at those ears, where'd you get them?"

"You don't look violent or two-timing."

They were next to him now, examining his ears, hair, eyes, claws, etc. I could tell he wanted to tear them to pieces, but was holding off as long as he could.

"Girls, you shouldn't do that….girls come on….GIRLS! I said cut it out and let me explain!"

"Well geez Kagome, you don't have to yell…"

Inuyasha was next to me, his arm wrapped around my shoulders. "Come on, Kagome, breath, just calm down…"

We sat down at the table with Mom and the girls and I began to explain, with the completed jewel, Inuyasha, and my archery and purifying powers, everything about the Feudal Era.

A/N: Sorry again about the long update. I'm swimming with ideas though, so as long as I don't get too much homework tomorrow, you can expect a fast update.

Oh, and I've been thinking that maybe I should put some song lyrics in here at the beginning of each chappie instead of putting a suggested downloadable song. I've been listening to a lot of music lately and have been thinking about how much they go together. So tell me what you think about it please.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about with a random song:

_A/N: blah blah blah_

_**Raview Replies:**_

_**Thanks and arigato**_

_**Forget Me Not**_

_**Chappie 2348 (random #) **_

_**Fukai fukai mori no oku ni ima mo**_

_**kitto**_

_**okizari ni shita kokoro kakushite'ru**_

_**yo**_

_**toki no RIZUMU wo shireba mo**_

_**ichido toberu darou**_

_**Boku-tachi wa samayoi nagara**_

_**Ikite yuku doko made mo**_

_**Shinjite'ru hikari motome**_

_**Arukidasu kimi to ima**_

_**Story**_

_**A/N: byes**_

And that's kinda what I had in mind. So please tell me what you think about this. See ya later. -


	20. Chapter 18: Thunder Rolls

A/N: hello again everyone! And I'm so happy I get time to update so soon! - Thank toy to everyone who reviewed, and the people who liked the song idea get their wish in this one. I didn't get any reviews where someone said they didn't want the song, so I guess it's pretty much unanimous.

Well, in one review I got, they said they didn't know what the song at the end of the last chappie that I used as an example meant, so I thought I'd put up the translation.

The song is the second 2/3s of Fukai Mori which is the 2nd ending song in the Inuyasha series. It means something like this:

_**I'm sure the heart I left behind**_

_**still lies hidden in the heart of the deep, deep forest.**_

_**If we can find the rhythm of time, we can fly once again **_

_**we live our lives **_

_**wandering to the ends of the earth **_

_**believing (in you?), now I begin my journey with you, **_

**In search of the light**

It's the one with Sesshy at the end and it's really addictive once you learn the words. Believe me, I just got this urge to look them up and now I've been singing the words for a month straight. But it's better now cuz at least I know the words and I'm not just humming it… oh well. Yeah, it's my favorite Inuyasha song. It's so pretty/sad :sob:

REVIEW REPLIES

**Pon Pon Pocky**- lol, thanks. I hope that made you happy. - I don't know much Japanese either, so I'm just gonna trust the nice website that gave me the lyrics even though the Fullmetal Alchemist ones were different from the subtitles, but I don't trust subs anyways… but anyways, thanks!

**Kawaii Bell**- thanks. Yes, my plans for Hobo fit right in…:evil grin: Muahahahahaha! I shall make him die a slow and painful death…or maybe I'll finish him off quickly. Nah, that's giving him too much slack. Anyways, HE SHALL BE PUNNISHED::runs off to strangle the idiot: ok, I'm back now. Thanks again!

**micael m-** thanks! -

**skystar-** I've heard that from a few people, but as far as I know, hasn't done anything to people who do put them in. It shouldn't be that big of a deal as long as I give the performers credit. But even the big, really well-known authors on this site post songs in their fics and nothing bad's happened to them, so I figure I'll chance it. Thanks for the review! -

**THE-REAL-MYSTIC-** you didn't rub it in. congrats. We had a really good run-through on Friday night at our game so now he's giving us some slack, but I think it's just cuz my band is so pathetic we can't even play the simplest music right and we have less than two weeks to learn four pieces for a veterans parade or something. But yeah, he's being a nice director now. Thanks! -

**JonnieBelindaandInuyasha-** thanks. And yes, Inuyasha is making her happy and Hojo is being an idiot and he'll regret it.

**Clouds of the Sky-** thanks! -

Well, that's all folks! Thanks to all you faithful reviewers who make me want to write even more! I don't know how I'd ever be inspired without you::huggles:

Anyway, I'd just like to say that a lot of the songs I'll be using won't be direct references and may be a little more harsh than what the song is about. Also, it may be a girl singer/band in a boy's POV or vice versa. A few of my favorite songs deal with things like drinking and several have references to killing and suicide (that one's one of my favs) but that won't mean I'm going to kill of the person it relates to. For example, a song I might put in here is "Travelin' Soldier" by the Dixie Chicks. Even though it has a really sad ending, that doesn't mean the chappie will be sad (but it might be). Point being, I promise right now that even if a character dies in the song, they WON'T die in the fic. But you'll have to piece together the semi-relevance yourselves. Oh, and it won't be the whole song either. Probably a verse and one run of the chorus or just a run of the chorus. It makes it easier. - Anyway, enough of my babbling and on with the story.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha (which you all know) nor do I own the beautifully sad song, "Thunder Rolls". Garth Brooks does. (Think Hojo/Kagome with this song. It should have been in at link, ch. 2, but it sorta relates to this too, so be creative.)

Forget Me Not

Chapter 18

_She runs back down the hallway_

_Through the bedroom door_

_She reaches for the pistol in the dresser drawer_

_She tells the lady in the mirror he won't do this again_

_This will be the last night_

_I'll wonder where he's been_

_The thunder rolls_

_And the lightning strikes_

_Another love grows cold_

_On a sleepless night_

_As the storm blows on_

_Out of control_

_Deep in her heart_

_The thunder rolls_

It took me about two hours to fully explain everything and give enough proof to where the girls even semi-believed me. At the moment, I was pulling the three towards the shrine, where my last bit of evidence was. If they didn't believe the dog ears, heightened senses, jewel fragments, and priestess abilities, they had to at least believe the well when their best friend somehow just disappeared, right?

Inuyasha was upset, I knew. I had promised him not long and that we were only going to grab a few things and inform Mama about the well again, then we'd be back before Sango had a chance to come looking. I knew he was losing his patience with the girls who wouldn't stop asking him questions like, "How far away can you smell?" and "I still don't believe your ears are real, will you take them off already?"

I wished there was something I could do to calm him down, but I knew he'd only be at ease back in his era away from these girls who still acted like they were in high school. We—that is, Inuyasha and I—gathered the three around the mouth of the well and they stared down into it. They were thinking just what everyone else thought—but this is just an ordinary well with creepy bones in it. Well, we were about to prove them wrong.

"Now girls, I know you still don't believe me, but I have to prove this to you somehow and this is the only way. Now, when we go, you guys just leave ok? No screaming, no freaking out, no calling the police because we vanished. We have already explained it all to you and there's no need for everyone to know, got it?"

"But Kagome, that well won't really take you anywhere, you're just getting sick again. You depression has gone to your…"

But Yuka couldn't finish that statement for at the very moment. There was a flash of blue light from the well and a second later we heard Sango calling from below, near tears. "Mommy? Where are you?" We all looked down into the well, and sure enough, there she was.

"Inuyasha, could you get her out please?" He just grunted, jumping into the well. As soon as the first blue flash finished, another one started and soon Inuyasha was back in the bottom of the well and jumped out, setting the girl down.

The girls stood in awe at what they'd just seen, slightly shocked that something this close to magic could really exist. (A/N: are they dense or what? Just what do they think Kagome has been showing to them for the past two hours?) "Ka-Kagome, he just vanished…and…and then he…he just…came back."

I sighed. "And what have I been telling you?" But at that moment, someone came up behind us as Inuyasha spun around to face the intruder. There Hojo stood, as menacing as ever, looking ready to kill. He completely stomped past Inuyasha and grabbed my arm as tightly as he could.

"Where have you been wench?"

I heard Inuyasha growl and my friends gasp that Hojo would speak like that. "I asked where you were!"

Inuyasha wasted no more time getting to Hojo and ripping him off of me. "I was with Inuyasha. Where did you think I would go?"

"He's that guy from the locket. I knew you were cheating on me!"

"ME? What about you? And I wasn't cheating I…"

"She hasn't seen me in ten years bastard, so stop kidding yourself!"

"Let me take care of him, Inuyasha…for now. You can finish him later."

I was getting really, _really_ pissed off and that was not a good sign. I could see the girls and Sango still huddled by the well as if one of the three would attack them. Lucky for them, Hojo was a bit occupied to notice them. He turned to Sango though, and I knew what was coming before it happened. He was going to hurt her again and I wasn't about to let him anywhere near her.

Sango screamed before he reached her, and by her flinch I knew she was expecting to be hit in some way, but Inuyasha was there just in time. "If you have business with Kagome, get it over with and leave her daughter alone!"

"She's my daughter too, freak. Just what are you anyway?" The only answer he got was a low growl that I took to mean that I should finish this quickly before he got impatient.

"Hojo you turn around and face me! You have no idea what I am or what he is and can tell you that you don't want to know. Cuz I promise, the minute you find out is the minute you die. Inuyasha won't let you live after what you did."

"You should talk, I suppose you're just gonna hide behind him, right? You're a coward, Kagome, a weak coward. Always have been, always will be." And that was the last straw. I don't know how he knew what would tick us off the most—maybe it was just his luck—but he was as good as dead now.

"You think so? Maybe I was once, but not anymore. And as far as anyone here is concerned, you can get the hell off my property before I call the cops…or maybe I'll just kill you myself. Never did like you too much…"

"Your property? This rightfully belongs to me. You know why? Because I'm the male. I get it by right. So why don't you get off my property?"

"It may be, but it's mine by birth and I have every right to kick you off of it. But I think I'll be nice and send you to hell before you feel the torture you should get." He stepped closer to me, murderous glare in his eyes growing in intensity. He seemed to be thinking about something and soon he was charging towards me. Inuyasha was in front of me in a second, but as soon as he moved, Hojo turned towards Sango and ran for her instead.

Yuka stepped in front with Ayumi and Eri to either side attempting to protect her, showing that he'd obviously have to get through them. Inuyasha jumped back over to Sango and the girls as and Hojo switched his path back to me.

I was getting fed up with him trying to prove his strength when he couldn't even kill an ant. I was also beginning to care less and less if he died, in front of Sango, in this era, or whatever. As long as he died. I reached to my bag which was still on my back where I had recently stowed my bow and arrows after my little 'demonstration' to the girls. No matter how it happened, this bastard was going down, and I'll be damned if I didn't at least help.

"And what the hell is that for bitch? You can't shoot worth a damn."

"I shoot a hell of a lot better than you do!" I smirked, knowing he was digging his own grave. Now I knew what Inuyasha meant by wanting someone dead so badly you'd give up your own life just to kill him yourself.

I heard Inuyasha tell me not to purify the arrow, wanting to finish that 'damn fucking bastard' off himself. Not that an arrow would do much harm to him. I shot the arrow just as smoothly as I ever had, as if I'd been doing it all my life (a/n: she hadn't shot ever since she came back) missing his heart on purpose. It'd be no fun to kill him with one shot. I heard the gasps escaping from the girls, as they obviously didn't think I would really hurt him.

"Can I kill him now, Kagome?" I looked to Inuyasha who was staring at the man laying on the ground whimpering from just that one little shot. If he had been hit with it, it wouldn't have even scratched the surface, even without his haiori. And if it had been me I wouldn't have even felt it. I saw hate in his eyes, along with disgust for the sorry creature who dared to challenge us. And as I nodded my head, I could swear I saw a little sparkle of lust in his eyes—lust to kill, that is.

"And what will we do with the other one when she returns?"

"Nothing. I'll explain it to her later calmly. She doesn't deserve hatred for something she had no control over. Hell, she probably didn't even know he was married."

He nodded. "Stand by the well then. Be ready to jump if you need to."

I obeyed, even though I knew no trouble would come of it. He was fighting a man injured to where he couldn't even move and my hanyou probably wouldn't even need Tetsusaiga for the fight. Maybe not even an Iron Reaver Soul Stealer. Just claws.

All the sudden though, I saw Hojo stand up, though he was still shaking from the pathetic wound I had inflicted. Inuyasha didn't even think when he punched the bastard as hard as he could, sending Hojo backward…and right next to the well. He was headed straight for me, obviously still trying to injure me as he put all his energy into making sure to knock into me.

"This fucking bitch is going to die if it kills me! And the kid too!" I heard him scream as I toppled into Yuka and then into Sango who was still right behind her. Ayumi and Eri reached out to grab Yuka knowing she'd be hurt, but were also dragged down by the force. The last thing I heard was Inuyasha's voice screaming at Hojo.

"She's _my_ bitch!"

My vision came into focus soon after the unexpected tumble into the Bone-Eater's Well and the first thing I realized was that Yuka, Ayumi, and Eri had all made it into the past as well. They were a little spaced out at the moment, so I grabbed Ayumi's hand which automatically linked with Yuka whose hand linked with Eri who's hand linked with Sango's (think human chain) and I began pulling them up as well as I could. They'd have to 'wake up' soon, though.

I had just finished getting out of the well when Ayumi tried to use her legs to help and I soon noticed that they were all climbing as much as possible with their hands currently occupied. I pulled them up quick enough, dreading the questions I knew were coming. I'd just have to answer as well as possible.

I readied myself for when Inuyasha and Hojo would come flying out of the well after figuring out that everyone else could go. I sensed something though—just a strange aura that I could not place. I decided to ignore it for the time being, but readied my bow in case anything happened before my protector could make it.

No sooner had I thought that than another blue glow appeared and Inuyasha came flying out with ease, a nearly unconscious Hojo being dragged by the hand. "Thought I'd slaughter him here so your 'poli-ece' didn't freak out or whatever."

I was ready to watch the so-deserved torture begin on my ex, if he could even get that title, but the other aura suddenly became much stronger, almost overwhelming, and I blacked out just as my friends started to notice they weren't in their time anymore.

**Inu's POV**

I saw Kagome faint wondering what on earth could have caused something so sudden, I felt the aura from near the village. It wasn't very strong, but she was a priestess—the most powerful priestess ever aside from Midoriko. Her senses on that sort would be much stronger.

Rin charged into the clearing at that exact moment, a look of terror on her face. "He came back." She said. "Kurnai came back for us, Inuyasha. He said he would."

Ok, this was so not the time. I had a near-unconscious bastard in my hand whom I would really like to dispose of, Kagome just passed out from that demon's energy, and her friends somehow made it back here and don't exactly know what's going. I'm in way over my head. Why did Kagome have to faint _then_ of all times?

Oh well, time to take action I guess. "You three and Sango. Go take cover. Run to the sacred tree. It's just through there and you'll get there. Hide in the branches where you can't be seen but can see your surroundings. Rin, go with them and help them into the tree. I take it my brother hasn't had time to teach you much."

The now-demon girl grabbed Sango and motioned for the others to follow her. I didn't even bother telling them to take Kagome. Unconscious girls don't exactly stay in trees. Plus, if there were danger, they couldn't get her out in time. I picked he up and propped her against the side of the well, hoping it would keep her safe and out of the way. (NOTE: Hojo is still lying on the ground. Not like Inuyasha cares if he gets hurt.)

Sure enough, moments later Sesshomaru came into the clearing locked in battle with Kurnai. My brother was using Tokijin, but to my surprise, Kurnai was fighting with nothing more than his claws, only they had extended in length.

"Where's Rin?" The lord asked.

"She's with the others in the sacred tree trying to stay safe. Go help them while I take care of him."

Sesshomaru normally would have argued his brother's logistics, but now was not the time, so he refrained from commenting to me. He ran towards the tree as soon as I had drawn Tetsusaiga.

I saw him rush past me, as if as quick as the wind. I knew he was going after Kagome. The only problem was, I wasn't fast enough to get to her. Not wanting to believe I could do nothing to stop him, I did the first thing that came to mind. I picked up the unconscious Hobo guy and threw him as hard as I could across the clearing and in front of Kagome.

I watched as Hojo took full blow of what should have been for Kagome and realized then that Kurnai had his nail glowing in the same way as it did when he poisoned Rin with that Jooji stuff. I figured a second later that he had planned on using it on Kagome since I couldn't turn her full demon like Sesshomaru did with Rin. Thankfully, that bastard took the full line of poison.

I jumped in front of him just in time to block his long nail things from slicing through what would soon be torn to pieces and then left to suffer from that poison.

"Now you bastard, tell me what you want from us before I kill you for good."

"Inuyasha, you amuse me. Why would I tell you what I plan or my reasons for anything. I must test my opponent's intelligence and logic so I know what to expect. If you can figure it out, you are a worthy opponent and I shall take pride when I kill you rather than not caring. You get one clue. How about a little rhyme?

_Water, Fire, Wind, and Snow;_

_Have fallen from this land we know;_

_Soon will become what was before;_

_What was not told in folk or lore;_

_Darkness, Light, Earth, and Moon;_

_The gathering shall gather soon; _

_Though what once was dark has separate form;_

_One girl shall return the norm;_

_As Sun and Stars combine though maybe late;_

_A brand new light shall seal our fate._

Have fun!"

And with that he ran off just as Kagome's eyes opened, leaving me to ponder that crazy poem he called an explination.

A/N: Well _that_ was spur-of-the-moment for a late plot line. Sorry if the rhyme kinda sucks, but I have absolutely no idea what possessed me to write that. It just came in my head and said 'write this' and I tried ignoring it but it was so persuasive… You know I'm crazy when a voice in my head persuades me to add a crazy new plot to a story I started 18 freakin chappies ago! Oh well, tell me if you like or not. If you don't want me to go even farther off track, just tell me and I'll come back and change it. It is crazy, and ya'll should know that I'm not good at riddles, let alone coming up with one, so sorry if it sucks.

**Inuyasha's 'bitch' comment**- Kagome will not take this to offense. In this story, I'm trying to show as much instinct as possible. His instinct is to call Kagome a 'wench' or a 'bitch (female dog way)' because that's what she is to him. She's a female and is pretty much as good as his mate, so these terms fit. Where as he'd get 'sat' to hell when mentioning these to her before, now she knows that nothing is meant in offense by these comments and could consider them a compliment every now and then.

**Kurnai's nails**- for anyone who's seen Fullmetal Alchemist, think of the Homunculus Lust's power. You know how she can extend her fingers and cut through anything? And then imagine that one of those nails was filled with the poison and it would eject into the person like a shot. If you haven't seen that, think of the 1st Inuyasha movie when Kagome's possessed and she does that weird thing with her nails.

So anyways, tell me what you think, and I'm sorry if it's not that great of a chappie. I really need to get my mind in focus and stop letting it write itself. The really crappy chappies are where it writes itself. I even diagramed what would happen in this so it _wouldn't_ write itself, but it turned out a lot shorter than I thought so I needed to add more to it and I came up with that weird ending.

Just a small note about what kind of songs I'll put at the top, I love, love, love, love country music. Especially Dixie Chicks and Martina McBride so don't be creeped out that a lot of the songs are by the same bands and that they're all country. I'll try to put some pop/soft rock and bands like Green Day in too, but a lot of those songs just don't fit the mood to me.

Ok, I think that's all I need to say. Please review and I'll update as soon as I can, though I have no idea when that'll be. Hopefully soon, but ya never know.


	21. Chapter 19: Inside Your Heaven

A/N: Hello nice people who reviewed me a lot. So sorry I've taken so long in updating this, but I've been so busy with Halloween. I went with the band up to Claiborne Co. on Friday night for our football game, and it was FREEZING! But that's only cuz we were in our Halloween costumes! It was so much fun, I was a neko hanyou from our own, INUYASHA! Well, so she was a made up cat hanyou, who cares? It was fun!

Then on Sunday I went to Gatlinburg to walk around, and I bought a Green Day CD, American Idiot. My friend Ashley got me hooked on it on Friday on the bus. I liked it before, but now I'm obsessed. Then, I had to work on this project for science due the next day, which took me forever cuz I was stupid and procrastinated so I could dream up nice things to use with this plot just for you. Aren't I nice?

Monday I went to Mariah's Halloween party which was sorta ok. Unless you count the supposed smoking, making out, and fighting! I say supposed cuz the only thing I actually saw was the fight. We smelled the smoke and the two little lovebirds were curled up on the couch making strange noises, so we left them alone. I was part of the group that left the room to pretend like I know how to play the piano. My friend Jordan was our only communication between rooms, and he only went in the other room cuz that's where Mariah was. He didn't even know the other people. Twas strange.

Last night I got obsessed with creating a live journal which took me oh, say 4 HOURS LONGER THAN EXPECTED! (the link is on my profile, I'll update it every day about this story and other ideas for you to read.) And then the Tsubaki eppie I hadn't seen came on, so I had to watch that, and then I passed out on my bed from staring at the computer for so long in my state of exhaustion.

Then, today, I found this really weird/cool band poem that I got a strange obsession to post everywhere. It's on my profile, but I'll put it at the bottom of this chappie just cuz I feel like it. Those of you in band will probably agree with it. -

And here I am. On with reviews!

REVIEW REPLIES

Momegi- yay, a new reviewer! Thanks!

Raven2evil-Midnightsoul- wow, four reviews! That's great that you think you know about the poem. But the truth is, I don't really know either. I just have a general idea. But it's fun to predict, maybe I'll read your mind or something and we'll get the same thing. The song is pretty much symbolism. I could go on forever and a day about what it means to me and to other people, but pretty much it's a guy who cheats on his wife and she gets fed up with him using her so she decides to kill him, kinda like Hojo/Kagome. And I'm so glad my story is a happy place to you. Happy places are fun.

micael m- thanks! -

JonnieBelindaandInuyasha- thanks

Pon Pon Pocky- thanks! And it may be Kikyo, though I'm still deciding for sure if Kikyo will even be in this fic, but more on that in my ending a/n.

Clouds of the Sky- thanks

Kawaii Bell- don't worry, he'll suffer more. Now though, the poison will have time to set in, so he'll feel double the pain. - I love torturing Hobo. It's so fun. And hopefully I can describe his pain very, very, _very_ well and descriptive so you know just how much he suffers. But I have a good way of killing him, and it won't be the poison. - thanks!

skystar539- thanks, and yeah, her crazy friends reeking havoc in the feudal era! And yes, country music comes more from the heart than anything else. Most of my friends tell me the reason they don't like country music is it all deals with love. You never get crazy songs that mean nothing but are fun to sing, they all have some sort of hidden meaning to them. Unfortunately, the pop/rock songs I like, I'm not able to figure out what they mean well enough to write something about it. But I will try to put something besides country in here. It's just that sad romance songs kinda fit at the moment.

chaotic pink chocobo- thanks! -

THE-REAL-MYSTIC- thanks! I love FMA, it's so the best anime besides Inuyasha. I could hug Ed all day! But Winry gets to be his huggable 'pillow' instead. But they rock together, so it's ok. Too bad I can't switch with Kagome though, I wanna tweak the ears!

chronosaura- I hug you for liking country music! It's one of my favorites too, but as you'll soon see, I love too many country songs to consider any of them a favorite. You'll see every song I put on here listed as my favorite song ever, you just will. I'm like that. I like all country music, but Garth Brooks rocks! Thanks for the review! -

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I got so many this chappie and so now I'm really happy::huggles for everyone: I'm sorry if this chappie is rather short, but this new plot is just really confusing me a lot and I've had the biggest writer's block ever. I'm trying to write as best I can, but I know I'll say something wrong in here. But I'll try to make this more deal with some more fun people rather than the riddle cuz I'm not so sure what it means yet, but I'll try.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or the song Inside Your Heaven performed by Carrie Underwood.

Back to Kagome's POV 

_**I've been down**_

_**But now I'm blessed**_

_**I felt a revelation coming around**_

_**I guess it's right**_

_**It's so amazing**_

_**Every time I see you**_

_**I'm alive**_

_**You're all I've got **_

_**You lift me up**_

_**The sun and the moonlight**_

_**All my dreams are in your eyes**_

_**I wanna be inside your heaven**_

_**Take me to the place you cry from**_

_**When the storm blows your way**_

_**I wanna be the arms that hold you**_

_**Every bit of air you're breathing in**_

_**A soothing wind**_

_**I wanna be inside your heaven**_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 19

I opened my eyes yet again. I seem to be doing that a lot lately, huh? This time though, I don't know why I passed out. I just did. It must have been that strong aura that I sensed earlier. I wonder what it was anyway. It was gone, though.

Inuyasha was sitting down in front of me, though he had this far-off look to him, like he was daydreaming. I stood up and walked over to him, wondering where everyone else went. I saw Hojo on the ground a few feet away, somewhat curled up as if in pain. Well, after what Inuyasha did to him, he should be in pain.

Inuyasha's head turned towards me, still with a spaced out look to his eyes. He slightly shook his head, as if to bring him back to reality, and came over to me.

"What happened?" I say. I'm as confused as ever.

"Kurnai showed up again. You passed out from his aura."

"So what'd you do?"

"I fought him a little bit and used Hobo as your shield, then I asked him what he wanted and he gave me this weird riddle, then left."

"And this riddle…"

"I'll tell ya later. Once we have some help from the others. Meanwhile, Hobo has that poison crap in him, same as Rin I think, so if you want him to suffer, now is a good time."

I tried to think of what we could do to him to torture him, rather than the classic bad guy 'hang them in a dungeon by their wrists and whip them' bit. It wasn't exactly easy either. He needed to suffer a lot, and I mean _a lot_. "Inuyasha, there wouldn't happen to be a cliff or an ocean nearby would there?"

"Both. Not close, but I could get to either in a half a day." Did I imagine it, or did his face look a little sad there? But as soon as it was there, it was gone. I guess it's nothing.

"Then let's take him there, but after I deal with my friends. I have some _ideas_."

"Alright."

As soon as he said that, I saw the outline of everyone through the forest. Sesshomaru seemed to be in a 'ready position' with his hand on Tokijin's hilt. Or at least he was trying to. As well as someone could position themselves while surrounded by three girls who wouldn't stop swooning over him, along with a very uptight Rin. The sweet girl, though usually understanding, could not understand these three, and the longer they were around, the more she wanted to show them a thing or two to make them believe in demons. They were so ignorant. 'Oh, where did you get those tattoos?' 'Are your claws real?' 'You wouldn't really use that sword on something, would you?' "What is that fluffy thing anyway?' and so on.

I could tell Sesshomaru was getting annoyed, or rather, pissed off would probably be the better term. I had to stop them before they got themselves literally slashed into pieces.

I ran up to them, trying to get them away. "KAGOME!"

They all run over to me and hug me. "We thought you were dead or something!"

"Calm down, I just passes out from the strong aura. It was a little overwhelming, but nothing serious. Much worse could have happened."

"Worse! You just fainted! What's worse?"

"You want worse girls, ok, I'll give you worse. Getting buried in poison, thank you Fluffy-sama," Sesshomaru growled, "watching Inuyasha get a hole punched through his chest while I could do nothing, then getting thrown back into my world where for all I knew he was dead since he sealed the well and didn't come for me; being kidnapped by a stupid wolf prince who refuses to admit that I don't want to marry him; being cursed by a dark miko who made me live my worst fears; facing up against a full-demon Inuyasha with nothing to control him except hope and love; being kidnapped countless more times and used as bait for Inuyasha and the others; pretty much killed by a revived human's poison (makotsu (sp?)); nearly killed several times by a dead miko who I just happen to be incarnated from and who is Inuyasha's ex-girlfriend; and maybe the worst of all, was releasing a stubborn, ignorant, egotistical hanyou from a tree in the first place." I giggled as Inuyasha's face turned from near laughter to somewhat shocked, but changed my tune as it turned sad.

"Oh come on Inuyasha, you know I was only joking. Never in my life have I ever regretted setting you free. Besides, I've still got the word to control you when you freak out." I went over and put an arm around his back. "So girls, how do ya like our home?"

"Home, Kagome did all that stuff you said before really happen?"

"Yeah. Every last bit of it and more, but it's not really much to worry about now, 'cept for this Kurnai guy. But he comes later. Meanwhile, we show you around and deal with Hojo."

They looked shocked beyond belief, but they seemed to know it was true. Soon though, Sesshomaru and Rin caught up with us. They'd been taking their time to keep as far away from these three as possible without seeming rude. Sango was between them.

We led the girls to the village, while Inuyasha dragged Hojo. And I mean, literally dragged, as in, we tied him up and he's pulling the idiot behind him. And did I mention he took the rockiest path?

Well, it didn't take all that long, but unfortunately, if we wanted Hojo to suffer, we had to leave soon before the poison's pain numbed him. We dropped them all off at Kaede's, with instructions for Sango to show them around as much as she could and maybe tell them some more detailed descriptions of the 'stories'. If she needed help, she could ask Rin, but seeing as how the young woman was so fed up with my three swooning girlfriends, I let both of them go off on their own rather than baby-sit.

So I climbed on Inuyasha's back, Hobo still attached to him by the rope, and we set off to find the cliff.

As Inuyasha started off, he went slow, though I assume it was only so he didn't scare my friends because as we got farther away from the village, his path turned to a rather uneven path and started leaping off, Hojo bumping against the ground with every jump. (A/N: just imagine that. Hojo go up and down and up and down) I was glad I was on his back, for if I wasn't we never would have made it. The ground was so uneven, and with every jump he took, I wondered if the rocks and roots hurt his feet at all. I know he's a demon, but still—he's barefooted and slamming his feet into rocks with the force of himself, Hojo, and me. Demon or not, it's gotta hurt.

But it wasn't very long before we reached the cliff. To my joy, I found it had thousands of precipices jutting out from the sides. No one would be able to survive a fall like that, even with the seemingly beautiful ocean below. I knew this would be awful for Hojo, but I didn't for one second think otherwise of our actions. It's not like it'd be murder…we'd get him to roll off himself. If I wanted a murder on my record, even a justified one, I would have just plain out killed the guy myself. Oh no, he was going to suffer a slow and painful death.

"How deep is the water, Inuyasha? Do you know?"

"About up to my knees."

"How do you know?"

"That's not important."

"I dunno, it looks a whole lot deeper…"

"Fine, you want proof?" He took a giant leap off the cliff—a near 5000 feet down, if not more!

I screamed, thinking that he'd be dead, but just a second later, he jumped back up, drenched in salty water up to about his knees. (A/N: without the splashing and stuff. Imagine he landed on his feet so gracefully that he barely made a splash.)

"What's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You screamed. What happened?" He was looking around, obviously expecting to see a demon, or at least Hojo trying to kill me. He couldn't possibly be this dense, could he?

"What happened? You just jumped off a five thousand foot cliff! Of course I screamed!"

"So what? You should know my demon blood…"

"Yeah, but just cuz it does doesn't mean that you can just hope you're alive when you get down there!"

"Well you asked…"

"I meant if you already knew. Not to go find out, and especially not to jump off a cliff!"

Ok, I felt a little mean for saying this to him, I mean, he was only trying to help. But I used to yell at him all the time. I'm just need to get used to it again. Right? I couldn't help but think that he looked a little more downcast than normal, but I saw his temper flare up again as quickly as the sadness had. Looks like we're back to stubborn old hotheaded Inuyasha again. Well, not that I'm complaining. I actually missed this side of him.

"Just do what you're gonna do and let's go!" Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold the phone! He just snapped at me! He hasn't snapped at me in ten years! Not that I've been around that much, but still! I guess I really did make him mad.

"I will. But you should do whatever you wanna do first. If he's not dead when I'm through with him, he'll wish he was. Oh, and don't hold back with flesh wounds. They'll make my plan work all the better." (Has anyone figured out my plan yet?)

"I don't like killing humans." He said. "No matter what they've done. But you can do whatever you like to his sorry ass. Just make it quick."

"You want him to die quickly? I thought you wanted him to suffer."

"I do. I just don't wanna be the one to do it. I'm not that heartless."

Ok, he called himself heartless? He thinks I called him heartless? He just more or less called _me_ heartless! He's never said anything like that to me before. I turn to look at his downcast, yet angry, face. "What's wrong with you?" I yell.

"What d'ya mean, 'what's wrong'? Nothing."

"Yes there is. Inuyasha, you just called me heartless. You've thrown some pretty rude insults at me, but nothing _that_ bad."

"And what about you? I try to help you and every time I do, I get yelled at. You yell at me for helping you, you yell at me for not helping you, you yell at me for doing stupid things! How the hell am I supposed to know what you want!"

Well that was different. Ok, memory check. How often does Inuyasha ever openly express his feelings to _anyone_ like that without persuasion, possession, or his human night? But all the same, now I felt really bad for yelling. "I was just worried about you." I looked down. "I know your demon side makes you immune to many things, but even you have your limits. It's not like I've ever seen you jump five thousand feet without so much as a scratch."

He looked sad for a second. "Sorry. Now, you gonna do this or what?" Was all he said.

"Do you really think it's heartless to do this?"

"Not really. I don't even know why. I just get the feeling that we shouldn't kill him—like it makes us evil or something. Torturing him and prolonging his death only make it seem worse."

"Yes." I agree. "All I need is to throw him over the cliff and that's it. He should die instantly. It should help his suffering anyway. Otherwise, he'll be alive for days, dying from the pain of the poison."

I pick him up and toss him over, not exactly feeling too good about killing my husband—even if he is a bastard. But, It's too late now. He's gone, flying towards the ocean below, hitting the jagged edges as he grows closer to his death. I feel like I've done something bad, but my mind keeps telling me that he deserved it. 'This is not your era, here even priestesses kill the ones who wrong them so terribly.' But I still feel guilty for some reason though. I hope it will go away with time.

Inuyasha seems to sense my sorrow, and for once, I don't think he'll be mad about it. I think in some weird way, he understands. I'm kneeling on the edge of the cliff, staring at my hands, unable to believe I just killed a man for that. In my eyes, what I had done was no better, worse even, than what he did to me.

He walks over to me and wraps his arm around my shoulders. I turn to him and cry, unable to hold back, even though I know he hates the smell of tears. He just pulls me close, letting me use his haiori as a pillow. His hug is the one thing right now that can comfort me; I just happen to be lucky enough for him to care enough about me to help.

I guess he knows what it's like to feel guilty, seeing as he's probably felt guilty more days than I've been alive. I'm glad he was finally able to feel accepted. I hug him back and my tears stop. I wish I could stay there forever, but all too soon he picks me up bridal style and carries me away from the cliff.

"Are we going back?"

"Not yet. I want to show you something first." He started moving, but at a normal human's pace. I guessed it wasn't too far from the cliff; otherwise he'd be jumping quickly. I'm still held tightly to him, I don't think he ever wants to let me go, but I'm fine with that. Why? Because I don't want it to end either.

I look up to find his amber eyes and am surprised to find him watching me. He must know the road well. I see those golden orbs probe into my very soul, just like I always dreamed he could do.

I was right. We enter a seemingly small cave, though as soon as we step through, it turned into a rather large room, about twice the size of my old one (A/N: her teenage one, not her/Hojo's). There's a lot of things here, only they don't look like they've been touched in many, many years. I look around—there is a small book case with scrolls placed neatly on the shelves, though not very many; I see a mat laid out, as if it were a bed; there is a fire pit for the cool winter months, and a mat next to it. A desk sits in the corner, though nothing is on it—it's just a desk.

Everywhere else, there are random things such as a small ball, probably from a kimouri game (sp? That game she mentions in the 3rd movie when she tells him volleyball is a sport). I see a wooden sword, about the length of Tetsusaiga, but was obviously much older, and it was cracked in several places.

As I look around, I see more and more strange items, but one suddenly catches my eye—a large yellow backpack. It looks fairly new compared to the almost ancient-seeming articles around it. I recognize it as mine immediately, still stocked with supplies. There are about five boxes of ramen sitting next to it, unopened all these years.

At first, I thought this was just a random cave he happened to pick to rest in, but now I'm certain—this is his cave. Almost like his home. All of these things, they're from his past. I look up at him, surprised to see him smiling.

"I haven't been here since the day you left me." He said.

"This is your home, isn't it." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Was my home, way back when, before Kikyo, before the jewel, before you and Sango and Miroku and anything else that you know of. Just a safe-haven really, for when I was still small—a place to try to get away from those people." I could tell he was reliving his past, so I hugged him tightly. No longer is he carrying me.

I was glad that he was finally opening up to me, but part of me said that he wasn't ready to talk just yet. His past was terrible, and I feel sorry for him—he grew up without love or comfort or family. He was just alone. I wished I could wave my hand and make all his memories of long ago go away. I wanted to reassure him that things have changed. But I know he won't believe it. So I only hug him, giving him the support he needs, wishing more than anything that I could make him feel better somehow.

"You don't have to speak if you don't want to. I know it's hard."

"But I want to show you—to tell you—about it. If I should tell anybody, it should be you. But…"

"But you don't know if you can." I finish for him. He nods and I kiss him lightly on the cheek. "You don't have to. Take as much time as you need. I'll wait all my life." I smile reassuringly, and he smiles back.

"No. If I'm going to do this, I need to do it now." He picks me up again and carries me out of the house. I thought we were going to someplace new, but he only walked a few paces out the door and then sat down, placing me on his lap. For the first time, I look out away from the cave.

There sits the most beautiful scene I've ever seen! Like a private beach, but with grass instead of sand. The ocean extends over the horizon, the setting sun painting a new picture with every second. It's so lovely I gasp, taking in the wonderful site. I wondered how Inuyasha managed to find this wonderful place, but I decided to let him say only if he wanted to.

I look up into those amber orbs yet again, only to find them staring off into nowhere. I know he's thinking about how he's going to tell me all of this. I feel almost guilty. If I wasn't here, he wouldn't feel like he had to talk about something he obviously wasn't ready to talk about.

I reach my hand up and pull his head down for another quick kiss, just for reassurance. He smiles, and as he begins his tale, I realize he really is perfect—flawless even. Every time I look into those beautiful eyes, I feel like I'm home. At that moment, my era doesn't matter to me anymore. I'd be just fine with staying here forever with my hanyou. And I know, that just as much as he's my home, I'm his.

We've opened up our gated heavens, just for each other. And you know what? It's not just a feeling—it's a truth. As we sit here, him reliving his worst nightmares, we're both glad the other is there to make us feel wanted. And when we look into each other's eyes—we're home.

A/N: Dear Kami that was a long one! 8 pages without the A/N's and replies! Where usually it's about 8 with them. Alright, now for the explaining stuff.

I think the song _Inside Your Heaven_ fits pretty well here. I don't think I really need to explain, but if you're confused just let me know and I'll explain it in the next chappie.

The next chappie will have everything about Inuyasha's past in it. There will be no Kagome in it. He is speaking to her about this. It's his story, so it'll be in his POV all the way through, and I have a lot to cover with it.

The rhyme thing won't pick up again for about two more chappies, just cuz we need some fluffy time thrown in here.

For anyone who didn't know what Kagome was doing to Hojo… you know how if you have a cut in your mouth and then you eat something salty, it burns? Well, imagine Hojo with a bazillion cuts all over his body, being thrown off a cliff 5000 ft above a very shallow part of ocean, getting even more cuts/injuries on the way down, braking a few bones when he hits bottom, and if he's not dead yet, he gets to sit in a large amount of some of the saltiest water on earth and wait 'till the poison kills him. Happy now, people who wanted Hobo to die painfully?

I'm sorry about making Kagome so guilty over killing Hojo, cuz I know she wanted him dead. But she'd have been way OOC if I hadn't. Think about it—Kagome—poor innocent Kagome—would never even dream of wanting to hurt someone. She's not heartless and she feels really bad about killing anybody, even if he is an idiotic bastard who deserves it.

Ok, you guys get to vote on a few things here now since I can't decide.

Should Kikyo be in this story? If so, she'll be a very main part in this plot.

Should Hojo be revived and turn into a main bad guy who is part of the riddle?

Should Kagome's friends go back to their world or stay in the Feudal Era for a while?

What would be some good items to have as heirlooms from Inuyasha's family? I need things from his mom (jewelry, clothing pieces, make-up, etc) and from his father (ring, something other than a sword, etc.)

What about Hojo's new girlfriend? Should she come in, even briefly?

I wouldn't object to song recommendations, esp. from those of you who don't really like country. I have (possibly) a couple Green Day songs, but that's about it. Tell me anything you might like to see posted as a song intro.

Well, I think that's about it. Here's the marching band poem for you guys, and I'll talk to ya soon! (Hopefully tomorrow.) Oh, and don't forget to read my Live Journal! -

A Little Something We Band Nerds Like to Call   
Those horrible, hot days of summer band camp  
Rehearsing drill until your legs burn  
Doing the show until  
You are positively sick  
Of the band director saying  
"One More Time! "  
Loading and unloading  
Instruments,  
Carrying flags and props  
on and off the field  
With timing of a military offensive,  
Day after day.  
Ice to relieve bruises on wrists,  
Foreheads,  
And swollen lips  
Standing at attention  
For five more minutes  
Than you can bear.  
Sunburn.  
Wanting to sell your soul _(From MW314- Oh, Kikyo!)_  
For 5 more minutes of sleep.

Flags in the face.   
Wanting to give it all up  
And join the chess club.  
Hearing the show music in your sleep.  
Sectionals.  
Heartburn.   
Heartbreak.  
Drumming on everything in sight.  
Tossing anything you can pick up.  
Thinking marching band was a stupid idea  
To get out of P.E.  
Realizing color guard  
Looked a lot easier than it is..  
Wondering what happened  
To your life.   
Eating dinner in the car  
While changing clothes  
And doing homework.  
Lost shoes  
And lost mouthpieces.  
Blood blisters on your palms.  
Learning the fine art  
Of sleeping on a bus.   
Tears and teasing.  
Learning you have  
63 new brothers and sisters  
Who stick by you through  
Thick and thin.  
Knowing you have  
24 new parents  
Who will cheer for you,  
No matter what.  
Laughing with others  
And learning more about yourself   
Than you knew.  
Thinking the show  
Will never work.  
And then,  
Finally,  
It comes together  
And you have achieved perfection,  
Drumming your hands off  
And playing your brains out  
And tossing higher than the sky.  
A slice of time in a stadium  
When everyone cheers  
And your mom cries  
And pictures get taken  
And once,  
Just once,  
You have the world in your hands.  
And the band marches  
Out of the stadium   
And down the street,  
Always together  
Whether it's success   
Or not,  
And you know by the feeling  
In your heart  
It doesn't get any better than this.  
And you know  
If your director asked you  
To turn around and "do it one more time"...  
You would...


	22. Chapter 20: One Last Breath

A/N: Well, here you guys go. Thank you to the nice people (all three of you) who decided to review me. I decided to be nice and update anyway because they were such good reviews! -

Ok, I've only had one person review me with opinions on my questions, and here are the results:

Should Kikyo be in this story? **Yes**

Should Hojo be revived and turn into a main bad guy who is part of the riddle? **No**

Should Kagome's friends go back to their world or stay in the Feudal Era for a while? **Stay, at least for a little while**

What would be some good items to have as heirlooms from Inuyasha's family? I need things from his mom (jewelry, clothing pieces, make-up, etc) and from his father (ring, something other than a sword, etc.)** no opinion**

What about Hojo's new girlfriend? Should she come in, even briefly? **Yes**

I will still accept 'votes' from people who haven't had a chance to review yet. I know I'm updating really soon and a lot of you probably haven't had time to check your e-mail or whatever. That's fine, but if you have an opinion, I'd really like to hear it! I think it makes it more fun when the reviewers get at least some of what they want to see.

**I forgot to say this in the last chappie**- for those of you who hate Kikyo and want to see her dead and stuff, not gonna happen in this fic. I do dislike Kikyo, but it is only when I have reason to. I do not believe she is evil or hateful. She may be a zombie clay pot and really, really creepy, but not evil. I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST HER! That is, unless she takes my inu to hell, and then I'll dive into hell and kill her again and again and again and then inu can come back up and apologize to Kags and be happy. I am not against Kikyo haters either though so don't feel offended. My view on her is very complicated, but I do not hate her and do not wish her dead. There will be times when I say I hate her, but that's just cuz I recently watched the eppie **_Kagome's Voice and Kikyo's Kiss_** and it made me mad at her. **There will not be Kikyo bashing**!

Ok, on with the review replies:

**chaotic pink chocobo**- the third movie always confused me with that. I don't like to think of Inuyasha as that old. It just seems weird. I know that he's a demon so he'll live like, 500 years or something, but I just can't imagine him as being that old, even with the tree thing. He'll forever be my 68-year-old hanyou, even when he is 500 years old. (well, he's 81 in my fic, but that's just cuz it's been 13 years since Kagome freed him.) So yes, he is about 200, but I refuse to believe it! And thanks for answering my questions. - Just don't think that Kikyo will be bashed. She'll be a very main part of the story, just not Inuyasha's girlfriend anymore. -

**Pon Pon Pocky**- yes, fluffy be good. - I know the feeling with those papers. It's really crazy and hectic, so that's ok, I understand. Thanks!

**THE-REAL-MYSTIC**- well, I don't mind about the poem, seeing as how it's not my poem. It was posted online and my friends all have it up, so I'm guessing it'll be alright. But if I get sued for it, I'll let ya know before they sue you too. Thanks! -

Well, that's about it! -

DISCLAIMER- I do not own Inuyasha, or **_One Last Breath_** by Creed. Yes, a non-country song for you people. I know I cut out the middle, but I had to. The middle verse doesn't fit as well. I know ya'll have heard this song somewhere before.

Remember, this chappie is entirely in Inuyasha's POV. He won't even be talking. This is his mind's memory, and will be him 'reliving' this. He is not talking and it is not in past tense. This chappie is written as if he is currently this age and this is happening to him right now. However, in the next chappie, it will be as if he told all of this to Kagome.

_**Please come now I think I'm falling**_

_**I'm holding on to all I think is safe**_

_**It seems I found the road to nowhere**_

_**And I'm trying to escape**_

_**I yelled back when I heard thunder**_

_**But I'm down to one last breath**_

_**And with it let me say, let me say**_

_**Hold me now**_

_**I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinkin'**_

_**Maybe six feet**_

_**Ain't so far down**_

…

_**Sad eyes follow me**_

_**But I still believe there's something left for me**_

_**So please come stay with me**_

_**'Cause I still believe there's something left for you and me,**_

_**For you and me**_

_**For you and me**_

_**Hold me now**_

_**I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinkin'**_

_**Maybe six feet**_

_**Ain't so far down**_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 20

**Inuyasha, age 4**

I'm running.

I don't know where to, just anywhere to get away…from them. These awful villagers. They hate me. They hate Mama. I don't know why. They just do. I can't stop them. Mama says it's because I'm a half demon. She says they hate me for what I am, not for something I did. I still don't understand. I must have done something wrong. It must be my fault. After all, everything is my fault.

But…I'm a demon. Shouldn't I be able to hurt them? Shouldn't I be able to protect Mama from such things? I'm a worthless demon. I can't even hurt humans. I hear them behind me, gaining. I know Mama is back there, trying to protect our home. But she told me to run. So I'm running. Maybe I should turn and fight. The worst that could happen is that I die. But no one will care. Everyone hates me. Even Sesshy hates me. I don't know why. I just don't know why.

I'm crying now. The tears falling from my eyes fly behind me, seeping into the ground as they fall. I'm only half aware of these tears though. They come so naturally now. No one cares anyway. No one but Mama knows how I feel. They hurt her too. And I just know it's all my fault.

Clouds in the sky suddenly open up. I feel the raindrops falling from the sky. They mask my tears. But the villagers don't care. They want me to cry. And they know I am. They want me dead. Maybe I should just die. Maybe I should let them kill me. But…no. Mama is sad enough already. I have to live for her. I have to protect her. I must save her like father once did. I know he saved us.

Mama never talks about it. At least not to me. But I hear her cry at night, in her room. She says things about swords and about a castle. I know it burned, and I know father died in those flames. Also a lord, though I never can remember his name. There is also mention of a dragon, and an injury.

I know he died because of me. And Mama is hurt because of me. I have no friends. My only family is Mama. I've never even met brother Sesshy. He hates me too according to Mama. I'll understand when I'm older, she says. But what if I never get older? What if she dies and can't explain it to me when I'm older?

Everyone is hurt because of me. Always.

I turn around ready to face those awful people. I'm going to fight them, if only to protect Mama. They come around the corner of the path, maybe about twenty of them. They all have weapons of some sort. I even see a few monks. They really want me gone? Well, so be it. They'll kill me, or I'll kill them. I've lived this way long enough.

I bear my fangs at them. I don't know what I'm doing. I've never used my claws for anything before. I never wanted to hurt anyone before. But I draw them anyway. I swipe them down a couple times, testing the feeling and showing them that I'm not afraid…even though I am.

They look shocked, and even a little frightened. But the villagers in front start throwing rocks at me. Rage builds within me. I've never felt so hateful before. But I jump upon the first villager in sight. His name is Satsuya. He is always the one who attacks me the most. He leads these people in their rage against me.

I have no intention of killing him, but I figure if I wound the leader, the rest will run off frightened. I swipe my claws down, only to see yellow blades shoot from them. Only one of those hits Satsuya, many hit trees, though a couple hit other villagers. They are not horrible wounds, due to my obvious lack of aim, but it is enough to frighten most of them. I see the monks come forward, ready with their seals and talismans. I am frightened of these. I know what they do to me. They turn me human until Mama takes them off.

I dodge monks and seals, running towards home, hoping I can still protect Mama.

I see our house. It is large, near castle size, and very pretty. I am frightened to see that most of it is being burned. I hear Mama screaming, though I do not smell blood. I remember that my robe cannot be burned and rush into the house, intent on saving her. She is being trapped inside. I see every other villager (other than those wounded in the forest) standing by very exit that is not already covered in flames.

I hear them yelling. "Give us the half-breed!" They chant. They want me. There is that word again though. I want to know what it means. But now is not the time to ask Mama again. I must save her first.

I jump in front of her, taking off my haiori and throwing it to Mama. I know it will protect her. She must get out. She is shocked, I know, but it fits her. I knew it would. Father gave it to her after all. And it is very large on me.

She doesn't want to leave me. She tries to grab me. I tell her to leave and get out. I say that it's my fault this is happening. But she does not believe me. She runs to me and grabs me, wrapping me in the cloak as well. It's larger than I remember. Or did it just grow to fit us both? It is a very strange fabric.

Mama runs out the back. I hear the villagers walk away. I guess they think we're choosing to kill ourselves and burn to death. Mama runs out of the house, unharmed for the most part. She runs and runs, down the same path I cam from, though there is no one there now.

We come across a cave and decide to take shelter there, even though it appears small. There is a nice view of the sunset takes away our fears. We enter the cave, which appears to be much bigger than we thought. It is actually very large. It looks as though there was already someone living here though. A table in the center of the room has a piece of paper pinned to it, and Mama goes over to read it:

_Dear Izayoi or Inuyasha-_

_If you are reading this, I am most likely dead, and have probably been dead for some time. I had hoped you could have lived peacefully in that village, though I know humans can often be swayed easily. This cave is from me to you, as a safe-haven for when you need it. No one can see it or enter it unless you wish it. Forgive me for leaving you so early in your lives, and for leaving you unprotected. I hope this cave will serve to help you in times of need, especially you, Inuyasha, on your human nights, whenever they may be. I am sorry for all that has happened and I hope you shall remain safe. Please forgive me once again for causing you both these horrible lives. I have done all in my power to save you both and I hope Sesshomaru has done me justice in placing this within your reach._

_With much love to you both, my dearest mate and son,_

_Inutashoi_

So this is now our home. Maybe we will be protected more here. I do not want Mama to be harmed again because of me.

Inuyasha, age 6 

Mama went out again today. She went to get food. I worry for her. The villagers have not forgotten. I see them every now and again, passing by the cave. I am only glad they cannot see it.

I am outside waiting for her, playing in the ocean as I do so often. It is the only fun I am allowed to have. I am missing her, for she has been gone much longer than usual.

But then I hear her scream. I smell her blood, though only a faint trace of it. I do not care for my own safety, nor have I since that day. I only wish Mama to be unharmed. It is my fault after all. She is treated this way because of me.

I have reread that note so many times. Father seemed so sure that it was his fault. But I know it's not. He's just like Mama. He only wants me to believe that, even though it is. I didn't even know him. But he was just like Mama I bet. He's just trying to keep me from the truth.

I again find myself running down that pathway, towards another encounter. I've practiced my fighting, though Mama doesn't know it. I've mastered that one attack—the one with the yellow blades. I call it 'Iron Reaver Soul Stealer' and it's come in handy a lot while hunting. Mama doesn't know it's me who killed those animals that I always bring back. She thinks I found them dead. I hate lying to her, but I can't exactly tell her these things. I don't want her to know. Only if she's in danger will I show it in front of her. She does not need to see more death than she already has.

I have stopped. There is only one man standing there—Satsuya. His left arm is still wounded from that day. He can no longer move it. But I know he is strong anyway, especially against Mama.

He has not yet noticed me, and I hear a little of what he says to Mama. "Your monster did this to me. I always told you he'd turn out like this. I told you not to mate with that awful creature, did I not? He is like a mutant. Never shall he or you be accepted. You knew this, didn't you? You knew that he would be harmed and hated all his life. Yet you brought him to life anyway. How heartless you must be. You do not care for him either. You wanted this to happen…"

The taunting went on. Mama hated me? She wanted this to happen? No, I couldn't believe it. Did she really know this would be our life? I could smell her fear and anger. I saw in her eyes that his words were not the truth. Mama's arm is at a strange position. I know that it is broken, and I see small amounts of blood running down it. This is enough.

I jump from behind the bushes, startling Satsuya. I show my claws again to him, hoping I can scare him into letting go of her, but he only grabs tighter.

"Inuyasha, run." She says to me. She is always looking out for me. No longer shall she have to. I can take care of us now. I charge at Satsuya, ready to take his arm off, but he moves just in time.

Mama does nothing to stop me, surprisingly. She has such a pure heart, I would think she would want no one harmed, even him. I try again, but only succeed in harming his deformed arm yet again. He cannot feel it, apparently. It did not hurt him.

"Izayoi." He sneers. "Do you intend to let him kill me?" He releases her. "If you do not wish to die, you stop him this second. He is _your_ little monster. I cannot believe you'd be this _heartless_. Especially to me, your own father."

That did it. I stop dead—Satsuya, Mama's _father_? I can't harm him now. Or can I? He did this to Mama. Does he even deserve the title of her father? In the moment I stop, he slaps her and begins quickly undressing her—and I snap.

I may be still small, but I know what rape is, and I know what he intends to do. So many have tried to do it to her before, all because of me. I can't stand it one more time. She can't stand it one more time. This man…he shouldn't even be called human. And he calls _me_ a monster? I felt myself blacking out, though I wasn't falling. I felt my nails sharpen. I was frightened. I scream and I change back to normal somehow.

And in my moment of weakness, Satsuya has a knife against Mama's stomach. I lurch at him, but in my rage I miss again. Note to self: get better with aim. But now is not the time. He pulls it away from her, and I think he is going to stop. He only squeezes one of her breasts and lifts his knife to her arm, cutting a long thin line down the broken one, and then the other.

I know he wants both of us to suffer. And it is working. I can't stand seeing this happen to Mama. I jump up again and took a couple swipes across his back. He nearly falls over from the pain, but it is not a full-blown impact. He will live through it.

He cuts Mama's right leg next, and then her left. I have to help her soon. The madman is putting tiny scratches all over her body and the stench of her blood is driving me insane. I charge yet again at him and this time, my claws go straight through his stomach.

Finally managing to wound him drastically, I run over to Mama. I kneel down beside her and cover her in her robes as tightly as I can. I need to stop the bleeding. Ok, so I don't know much about how to heal wounds, especially ones such as these. But I'm going to try. Mama will not die today if I can do anything. I do not want it to be my fault that this happened too. I will save her.

Just as I manage to get her on my back though, Satsuya threw his knife straight for me with his last bit of strength. I knew I could survive the wound that it would inflict, seeing as how it was headed for my arm and I'd had much worse from villagers in the past.

Mama didn't want me to be harmed at all though. I could tell. So rather than taking the blow, I move out of the way, just for her sake. She should not suffer more.

I run her back to the cave as fast as possible, not stopping for anything. I know she is shocked that I could hold my own so well against him, but she is sad. I can smell it. She acts happy, and thankful, but I know that she is grieving. I feel guilty. I did not intend to kill him, no matter what he did, but I missed with my claws yet again and they had gone straight through his stomach instead of just cutting his other arm off.

I want to die now. This is my fault. If I told Mama that I could hunt, I would have gone and hurt him but not killed him. She would not be hurt and he would not be dead. Everything is my fault.

I enter the cave, Mama still on my back, and head over to one of the two futons lying on the ground. I lie her down and run for the bandages she always keeps with her, along with the herbs. I don't know what to do with them, but I figure that I'll find out.

"I'm sorry, Mama." I say. She just smiles.

"You…shouldn't be. You should…be…proud." She closes her eyes, though she is still alive. I can hear her faint breathing. I try to find all the wounds and cover them without violating her anymore. I know she will not live long though. She has been hurt to badly. I can smell the pain that she tries to mask from me. Her breathing grows fainter with each passing minute. I wish for a miracle, but know I will not get one. Why would a monster like me be granted a wish? Everything is my fault. I'm a sin against nature. I do not deserve a wish.

I hear Mama's ragged breaths, I smell her pain, I feel her sorrow, and I want nothing more than to help her. This is all my fault. Can I not give my life for hers? I wish for anything to save her—even a priest or priestess who may somehow be able to fuse my life into her. She does not deserve this.

I hear her shudder, and then her body relaxes. She no longer takes ragged breaths. She no longer reeks of pain and sorrow. She is a lifeless form and smells of one thing I never remember smelling before—death.

I began to cry yet again—something I had not done since that one day. The one person who kept my life going is now dead, and it is my fault.

I start a fire, ready to burn her body respectfully and lay her to a proper burial. She deserves this at least.

Two months later 

I cannot believe that I have lasted this long without her. My sorrow overtakes me most of the time. I am unable to fight, unable to move, unable to breath without her here. She was my life force, and now I live on nothing. How can I? I do not deserve life. I wish to end it, but I cannot find the strength to move from the cave. I have almost starved myself, eating nothing but what little I can find lying around. I cannot die so easily, I know.

I am alone in the world. "You will not be alone forever." I remember her telling me. "Be strong, my dearest, and you too shall find happiness." I want to believe this, really I do. But I cannot. The world is against me. It hates me. I guess everyone was right. I am unfit to live.

Her strong words echo through my mind. I want to be strong. I cannot live without her, though. I scattered her remains in the ocean, letting her float to another place—a happier place. With father. I want her to be happy.

I carved a stone with my claws as a tombstone, though there are no more remains. It sits just outside of the cave. The only time I leave the cave is to place flowers there. She deserves this much at least.

Half a year later 

I am no longer alive. My soul died along with her. At least now I can move from my cave. I decided to live as a zombie long ago. My lifeless body walks around and kills animals easily for food. My life is still miserable though. She is still gone.

I am walking around the area yet again, looking for my next catch. I come across that cliff again. I have been here many times before. Every time, it becomes more and more tempting to just jump. I still feel the need to end it all. I had wanted to teach those villagers a lesson once I gained enough strength, and become the monster they so feared. I wanted to tell them and show them that they created the monster. Without them, I would still be my regular self. And Mama would still be alive.

But every time I see this cliff, all of those goals disappear. This time, it is worse. I have been thinking of her again, and now I wish to die with her yet again. I want to send myself to hell, if only to punish myself for every awful thing I've done in my life.

I have unconsciously walked to the edge and I'm staring down into the ocean. I know the water is shallow there. I've seen it recede many times during tides. It is useless to stop myself now. I cannot believe that I am about to do this. I jump. I see myself falling, and I see the water growing closer and closer.

I am scared for the first time in years. I see death staring me in the face, trying to pull me in. I see my visions of hell turn into things much darker and danker than I ever imagined possible.

As I hit bottom, I expect to die instantly, as I so imagined it would be, but no. I feel pain, and I smell blood, but I am not dead. I am tired though. I feel my eyes close, and I await my death, though I am afraid.

I open my eyes. I have no clue how long I have been asleep, but I cannot remember much. I wonder what happened as I look around at my surroundings.

I remember jumping and expecting to die. I remember seeing those awful images and I remember being scared. I feel no pain though.

I look around—I am still in the ocean.

I move a little—Nope, no pain.

I stand up—I'm still alive. _I'm still alive!_

I never thought I'd be happy for my life. But I know I will not be happy for life. It seems that ending my own life is not possible. I can't imagine why, but perhaps there is still reason for me to live. Maybe I need to survive.

I guess I'll just have to live my life alone. I jump up those jagged precipices with new energy I thought I'd never have again.

Don't get me wrong. I still hate myself. Every thing will still be my fault. I'm still worthless. I still killed Mama.

I shall wander this earth in search of meaning though. Perhaps Mama was right. Maybe I can find happiness. I doubt this feeling inside of me, but I must have hope. I will live as long as I can, trying to find a way to happiness. No matter what the cost. I'll find meaning to my worthless life.

I'll find one thing that can wash away all my sins—one thing in this world that can cleanse me of this filth I call my human half. It is what causes all of this. Mama's blood is at fault, not Father's. I will become a full demon.

But until I find that way, I'll have to live this pathetic by myself. I'll forever be… alone.

A/N::sob: was that sad or what? I made myself cry! Well, ok, so I didn't cry. But I wanted to cry! So sad! I hated doing that to poor Inu, but amazingly, this is how I feel about his past. I started this chapter with no ideas whatsoever. I figured I'd let it write itself since my thoughts on his life before were so strange and somewhat unclear. But, I guess my mind finally showed me what I meant when I gave my many different accounts of what happened to myself. (meaning when I'm talking to myself about Inuyasha issues.)

Well, this chappie made me think of a special little quote from my favorite Fullmetal Alchemist eppie (well, one of them. I like all the Nina ones). They are also the saddest eppies in all that's been dubbed so far. I cry for Nina! But anyway, I wanted to desperately add this quote in here somewhere, but I could not with Scar's reference to God. It just didn't make sense. But here it is. You can see how it fits here, I hope:

"You poor thing…

You're a sin against nature and your body is in so much pain.

Oh merciful God, who shapes us all…

Please return these scarred souls to your unending womb."

Scar

Actually, I found a lot of things in here that somewhat referred to Fullmetal Alchemist.

But oh well, tell me what you think of my first account of Inuyasha's past. I shall update soon! -


	23. Chapter 21: Drops of Jupiter

A/N: Wow, you guys are the best! Since my last update, I've gotten 21 reviews by 15 reviewers! Several of you guys reviewed for several chappies! I love you! Unfortunately, you and I both would be sitting here forever reading through all the replies (not to mention I have a limited amount of time online tonight) so I can't reply to all of them this chappie. I will either put up an a/n as my next chappie with all the replies, or I'll wait until the end and have a big huge a/n just for every one of you who reviewed. But, I can list all of your names! So here they are:

_**Thanks To:**_

_**molly-chan**_

_**Pon Pon Pocky**_

_**bloody shadow4**_

_**Clouds of the Sky**_

_**JonniBelindaandInuyasha**_

_**Ally Inu**_

_**THE-REAL-MYSTIC**_

_**kawaii bell**_

_**britteney**_

_**An Alien Beauty**_

_**Reven Eid**_

_**Momegi**_

_**iNuyAshALuVAahh**_

_**Kagome2**_

_**lilaisha100**_

Thank you to everyone who reviewed me! You guys have no clue how much it means to me. And thanks to Molly, who asked me to write her back. I know what you mean about having a hard time finding a good fic. No one take this the wrong way, but so many stories these days are unoriginal. All you see are high school fics, something about Kagome being a princess/slave, or any other AU fic. I'm sorry if anyone writes these stories, I'm not saying you're not creative, but it just gets annoying when you scroll down and all you see for summaries are "The Inu gang in High School". Most people don't even bother to put a REAL summary in. Once again, sorry to anyone who writes those, but it needed to be said.

Ok, the results from the poll so far (final decision in bold):

Kikyo: **3 yes**; 2 no

Hojo: 1 yes; **3 no**

Kagome's Friends: **3 yes**; 1 no

Hojo's Girlfriend: **unanimous yes**

Sorry to those of you who voted for what didn't get picked, but majority rules. And I have finally gotten the legend worked out for that rhyme. It will either be in this chappie or the next, depending on how far I get with this one.

WARNING: There are hints to a lemon in here. I do not write lemons, so don't worry. But it will be easy to distinguish where it happens. Nothing too bad is written, just a couple kisses, but there are hints to a lemon. Just no detailed stuff.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha or the song "Drops of Jupiter" by TRAIN.

_**Now that she's back in the atmosphere**_

_**With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey**_

_**She acts like summer and walks like rain**_

_**Reminds me that there's time to change, hey, hey**_

_**Since the return from her stay on the moon**_

She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey 

_**Tell me did you sail across the sun**_

_**Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded**_

_**And that heaven is overrated **_

_**Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star**_

_**One without a permanent scar**_

And did you miss me while you were looking at yourself out there 

Forget Me Not

Chapter 21

Back to Kagome's POV (again, I know)

I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. For one thing, Inuyasha just told me everything! He never would have dreamed of it all those years ago, even if he had loved me back then. It's just not like him to talk about such things with people. He'd rather forget about it and live his life without the torture of those memories.

Sitting shocked in front of the beautiful beach, I could only stare. I had no clue what he wanted me to do. I didn't know if he'd accept comfort or not, though he sure as hell needed it.

I pulled myself into his lap and just hugged him as tightly as I could. Now was not the time for romance or passion—the emotions that would rise if I kissed him—no, he just needed someone who cared about him enough to give him a long hug for as long as he needed it.

He was looking away from me, and every now and again I could swear I saw a small drop of water hit the sand, though it was absorbed within seconds. I knew he was crying. Anyone would cry after reliving that. The death of Izayoi and then the months afterward, resulting in his suicidal thoughts. He was most likely ashamed of his foolish thoughts, of his tears, and of what he 'allowed' to happen, though it was nothing to be ashamed of—that kind of life would drive anyone to madness.

I continued to hold my grip on him, trying to hold back my own tears. He needed me to be strong for him. Not to mention, now I felt about ten times worse for leaving him. I knew it had broken his heart, but if he really means what he says—about me being the most important and loving person in his life—it would have been like losing Izayoi all over again. No doubt he blamed himself for my departure as well.

The sun had set now, and the near-half moon was shining with the stars down from the sky. He turned his head farther away from my face, if that was possible. "We should go in." Was all he said before picking me up and carrying me into the cave.

"Why not stay out?" I asked. "It's a beautiful night, and the fresh air feels nice."

"Demons and humans alike can see you out there. Inside, you are protected from them."

"But you are here with me. You'd protect me."

"I'm not as stupid as I used to be, Kagome. I may hate admitting it, but there are demons stronger than me, stronger than the half-breed. I can't protect you as well as I would like to. I'm not as strong as I once believed. Plus, that village is nearby. If the humans saw me here once again, they'd go crazy."

My mouth was open again. "Oh Inuyasha," I sighed. "You are perfect—not a 'half-breed'. Only those who fear you call you by that name. They wish to weaken your mind, since they know they cannot your body. But again I say you are stronger than any human or demon we've ever met, even Sesshomaru and Koga. And the village can deal with it. It has been almost seventy years, after all."

"They have stories."

"So? I know they were mean to you, and rude, and they hated you and caused you all that pain. I know they don't deserve another chance, but what idiot from that village would come out here? As far as they know, you've not been here for near-seventy years. They probably fear this place, in case you were to return and kill them all. You have a power against them you've never known, but I can assure you that it's there. You don't think they'd hate me too, for staying with you? They would, but you're here to protect me always."

I turned his face towards me. "Look me in the eyes, Inuyasha, and listen to me. Listen. I love you. I…Love…You. Never forget that. You always protect me. After your story, I think I finally realize what you went through as a child. It was awful and horrible, beyond anything I could have imagined before. I realize you think about it often, but please don't feel guilty for it. It. Was. Not. Your. Fault." With each word, I felt the tears ready to fall. I kissed his chin as I said these things that I meant with all my heart. I only wished I could get him to understand that things are different—that his pedigree had nothing to do with his strength. I wished I could show him how much I loved him.

I let the tears flow, unable to hold them back any longer. I felt his body tense and the tension and sadness coming from his aura. He hugged me back for the first time since the beginning of his story and stroked my hair softly. "Please don't cry Kagome. I'm sorry. You know how much I hate your tears…"

I looked up and smiled at him, though the tiny droplets continued to fall. I leaned up and kissed him on the lips briefly. "You did nothing." Was all I said as I kissed him again, this time with greater passion. I could feel his aura calming as I reached up and tweaked his ears, just a little. The hum that echoed from his mouth to mine as we deepened the kiss drew me to continue. I rubbed them now, instead of only tweaking.

He was completely relaxed now, and so I pulled away from him, looking into his still closed eyes. I smiled at the picture I mentally took of his expression, forever locked away in my memory. I continued to hug him, but frowned as I felt him pull away. His tension returned, though only in brief pulses. His eyes opened and I saw them flash red for a second, such a short second that I wondered if it had happened at all. As the golden color returned, he pulled even farther away from me, nearly pushing me away before going over to the futon and lying down, his eyes closed and his face turned once again from mine.

What happened? I mentally asked myself. I remembered the flash of red and my eyes widened. He almost transformed! But why now? He had Tetsusaiga with him, and he wasn't near death, so what? It took me about five minutes to register that he almost changed because of the kiss and the attention to his ears—what are probably his most sensitive parts. I was beside him in a second, ready to comfort him if needed.

He looked up and our eyes met for a brief moment, before he got up to leave again. "Inuyasha please. Stay with me."

He looked at me like I was crazy. "I almost hurt you. I almost forced you to do something I know you don't want to do. I can't risk that again."

"I don't care," I said before kissing him again. He pulled away.

"Kagome, please, I don't want to hurt you, and I don't want to force you."

"You won't hurt me. Your demon side may hurt those who attack you, but it's never once attacked me. I trust it, and you."

"But if it…"

"I don't care. I want you to be happy. I'll do whatever you want, no matter which side of you it is. I know you would never hurt me."

"Are you sure."

"Yes."

"I don't want to hurt you…"

"Inuyasha, for the last time, you won't hurt me. Now shut up and kiss me before I have to do it." I smirked as his look of shock vanished as his lips touched mine in our most passionate moment.

_**!The Next Morning!**_

Well, it's safe to say that we slept the day away. It was near two when we finally woke and got up, ready for the long road back home. But as I linked arms with him and snuggled close to his shoulder, I noticed he was facing the opposite direction.

"Isn't home the other way?"

"We're not going home…not yet. We're going to see a few people who'll be overjoyed to see you."

"Oh, who!"

"And that, koi, would be a secret. But you'll find out soon enough, most likely by the end of the day as long as we don't have any interruptions." I smiled it seems last night really brightened him up.

As we walked, I noticed that we were heading straight towards where he said the village was. Had he not said only last night that he both hated, and even feared, those villagers? Why then was he willingly taking me there?

"Inuyasha?"

"I want to show you something there. I want to let you see. If you still want to, that is. I don't want them to hurt you."

I was a little shocked by this statement, but only leaned in closer to his side and nodded. "They won't, as long as you're with me."

I could swear I heard him mumble something along the lines of, "That's what I'm afraid of," but I must have been hearing things.

He wrapped his arm around my waist as we entered the village boundaries. Immediately I saw all the shutters on the closest houses slam shut. The others followed like a chain until the entire village was closed off. Inuyasha's ear's twitched and I guess he heard their mumbling inside one of the houses, for he grabbed me tighter.

As if a silent queue had been set off, every door opened and every man about thirteen strode out of the houses, hands holding any sort of weapon they could find—swords, daggers, bows, arrows, spears, pitchforks, you name it, they had it.

The elderly men stepped forward, all over eighty at least, though uncommon for humans to live that long in these times. They looked us over carefully, muttering to themselves, and many rested their vision on Inuyasha's ears. One stepped forward. "You have returned. Why? What business do you have here half-breed, you have no rights."

"My house, no matter how much I dislike the fact, lies here. I have every right, and you have none to stop me." He pushed me behind him.

The men snickered, apparently finding this answer amusing. "You have never been welcome here. Leave before we kill you."

Inuyasha was growling, ready to attack as the men surrounded us, elderly in front and youngest in back. One of them, a younger one who reminded me much of Hojo, grabbed my shoulder, tearing me out of Inuyasha's grasp. I slapped the boy. "What the hell do you think you're doing to me?"

"Rescuing you from this hideous creature, m'lady. One of pure power such as yourself should not be forced against your will into marriage, especially one too pure to marry off, as a priestess like you."

"Rescuing me?"

"You bear his mark. Let us clean you and restore your powers."

"Did anyone here maybe think that I wanted this mark?" Every last one of them stood shocked.

"But he has taken you against your will, has he not? He'll use you and then kill you, like he did his filthy whore of a mother." I gasped. Inuyasha was growling, though I wondered why he had not killed every last one of them yet. The sadness was apparent in his eyes yet again, and I went to him, wrapping my arms around his waist before continuing.

"No, he hasn't. It is my will to be with him. And do not dare speak of Izayoi like that! You're lucky Inuyasha hasn't killed you all yet! And do not dare blame him for actions done by your own kind while I stand here. My duty may be to protect humans, but Inuyasha is always first."

The men did not back away. Instead they drew closer. "Then you are unwelcome here as well, _priestess_." I he spit out the word, as though mocking it. "I suggest you leave."

They drew their weapons and pointed them at me, rather than Inuyasha. His growl increased to the point where he was almost snarling. He pushed me behind him again. The ones in back of him looked at us with disgust. They spat on the ground, though I knew they were aiming at me. One landed on my arm as one screamed out, "Get off our land, fucking whore of a half-breed!" Other's continued with the foul language directed towards me.

I felt like crying, to tell the truth. I could hear the women inside the hut telling their children not to associate with me. I heard the kids cursing and swearing at both of us, meaning for us to hear them. I had never even been close to understanding the pain he went through, and now that I lived it, I knew I had once again underestimated Inuyasha's past. We were truly unwelcome in this village, as I knew we would be, and they intended to kill us.

I had been too busy looking ahead of Inuyasha that I failed to notice the men behind were approaching me. They all grabbed my arms at once and covered my mouth, obviously not realizing that Inuyasha could hear my screams, muffled or not. About ten of them surrounded me, all fairly young, maybe the youngest being five years below me.

They all had daggers pointed at me as I screamed over and over again. Inuyasha knew that I was there, and what they would do to me, but the other villagers had chosen that time to close in on him. They may be quick work for him, but the few hundred that were there would still take him a little while.

The men began cutting my arms and legs, even a little on my stomach, as one forced his lips on mine and began groping around on my backside, trying to find a way to undo the priestess robes I wore.

At that moment, Inuyasha had gone insane. His eyes flashed red and he pulled out his sword, swinging at the few foolish enough to stay in front of him and slicing them apart with ease. His eyes were flashing back and forth between red and amber and I knew he was trying to fight his other side once again.

The men around me foolishly stayed in place, not caring that he was behind them, ready to kill. Just as the one laid down on my now naked body, he was picked up and lifted high into the air. I noticed the other nine were already slain. His demon side had completely taken over now. "No one, touches my mate and lives to tell about it. Got that, bastard?"

His claws swept through the guy and he was dead before he hit the ground. I struggled to get up and calm him down, but he came to me. Surprisingly, as soon as he covered me with his haiori (my priestess attire was in shreds) and picked me up, he returned to his normal self.

"Stay the hell away from my mate and me, or you'll all be dead by sunrise tomorrow. We'll be out of here soon enough. I have no desire to stay with a bunch of bastards like you."

He ran off towards what appeared to be a half-destroyed castle about a mile away from the village. He took me inside and up to a lovely room on the upper level, overlooking the mountains that seemed to combine with the ocean so far out of reach. He set me down on the bed and started rummaging through the drawers until he found a small roll of bandages.

He started cleaning and wrapping the cuts that were all over my body. They were not bad injuries alone, but with all of them, I had lost nearly too much blood. He took his claw and cut a small gash on his arm and put it next to my mouth. "Drink it."

"Why?"

"Demon blood heals faster than human blood."

I looked at his sad and frightened expression. Well, if it'll make him feel better, I might as well try. Immediately I felt a few of the smaller ones begin to disappear, no scar or anything. The worse ones lessened, though did not close all the way from the small amount I was able to get before his wound healed itself.

He wasn't looking at me. "I'm sorry. We never should have come here."

My strength rapidly returning, I grabbed his neck and pulled him down next to me as I kissed the tips of his ears. "You did nothing wrong. I should be sorry." I started to cry then, tears from all of it, and tears for now. I could not be strong any longer.

He ran his fingers through my hair, trying to calm me down. "It's alright."

"H-how did you survive all that? You m-must have h-had it ten times w-worse than that."

"It was the only life I knew. But you made me proud. You stood up for me and you didn't show them your sadness. You were strong. I was weak."

"You weren't weak. But thank you." I tried to smile, but could not through all the tears. In truth, I had been terrified through the entire ordeal. And the things they said about both of us. I just couldn't stand it.

His touch was comforting, and for once he let me cry, rather than trying to stop my tears. He was going to let me break down and be weak. It made me glad, though the tears still fell. His murmurings comforting words and praises eventually lulled me to sleep on the bed in that lovely room, as Inuyasha laid down beside me and wrapped his arm around me and the silk covers around both of us.

I awoke the next morning to find Inuyasha no longer beside me. He was once again rummaging through the dresser of the room, which I supposed was his mother's. He pulled out all sorts of kimonos, many those of royalty, which I should have guessed. Izayoi was a princess, and then a lady married to the most powerful ruler of the time in all of Japan. They were beautiful, but I could not imagine wearing them, if that's what he had in mind. I knew I needed something, but these were a bit much. I couldn't accept them, even if he offered them to me, as I knew he would.

As he pulled out the last kimono from the drawer, he pulled out a small box, very heavily wrapped. It was small though, maybe a jewelry case. He gave it to me. "She wanted you to have this." Was all he said before he started sorting through the kimonos, trying to fit them all back into place, while examining them, seeing how decent they were.

I opened the box and took away all the cloth and paper. Inside was a small heart-shaped locket, much like the one I already had with our pictures in it. Only this one was pure gold. It had small diamonds framing it, along with a small sapphire heart in the middle. It almost reminded me of _The Heart of the Ocean_, from _Titanic_, only this was a locket, and there was gold between the gems. I opened it up and a small letter fell out. I decided to find it later and see what else was inside. The words _"Mine is an unchanging love, Higher than the heights above, Deeper than the depths beneath, Free and faithful, strong as death." _Were inscribed in the gold. I thought about them for a minute. They were beautiful words.

I bent down and picked up the note that had fallen from the locket and opened it up.

_To Inuyasha's love:_

_I must thank you. I know Inuyasha will grow up alone and will believe that no one could ever care for him as I have. If you are reading this, I thank you for opening your heart to him and his differences. Please take this locket as a small token of thanks and appreciation. I believe you will be the one to give him a home and a family one day and love him until your death. Please take care of my baby and show him love I know he will have never received before. I regret not being here to meet you personally and I am sorry. Please give him my regrets and never take off this necklace. As my daughter-in-law, please ask him to tell you my favorite verses. He'll know what they are. I thank you once again for your true kindness and love,_

_Izayoi_

Well, that was nice. "Thank you" I mouthed to her, just in case she was watching from heaven. I placed the necklace around my neck and pulled Inuyasha's haiori closer to my shivering body as he continued to sort through her kimonos. He pulled one out from the rest. This one looked plain in comparison to the robes of the Lady, but it was still beautiful. He handed it to me. "Go put it on." He looked at the paper. "What'd she give you?"

"You didn't know?" I showed him the locket. He had only to see the first line of the verse to recite it involuntarily in front of me. I smiled at him and he blushed.

"Mother used to say it all the time. What did she write about?"

"Why don't you read for yourself while I change?" I handed him the paper as I stood up and began to dress in the lovely kimono before me.

As I sat back down, he just looked at me. "She wants you to hear the verses."

"Well, then tell me."

He looked so strange, just sitting there, as if worried about something. I kissed him quickly. "Please? For her?"

He sighed.

"_Don't talk of love,_

_But I've heard the words before:_

_It's sleeping in my memory._

_I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that have died._

_If I never loved I never would have cried."_

"It's pretty." I said. Ok, it was more than pretty. It was beautiful and sad, but wonderful. "But she said 'verses', which would mean there's more than one."

"Well, one was the one in your locket, and the last one…

"_We are the music makers,_

_The dreamers of dreams,_

_Wandering by the lone sea breakers,_

_Sitting by the desolate streams._

_World losers and world forsakers,_

_Upon whom the pale moon gleams._

_Yet we are the movers and shakers,_

Of the world forever it seems…" 

"Is that it?" he nodded his head. "Now, why was that so hard to say?" I knew the answer, though I knew he'd refuse to say it. He was embarrassed of knowing such sayings. They were beautiful though, and I can see why Izayoi liked them.

He stood up. "We should get going before the villagers return to chase us away. We still have yet to see your surprise." He flashed a grin as I stood up.

"Well in that case…" And we walked out the door, arms linked with me leaning into him, just as we had come.

!Sometime Later!

I was exhausted. This was the farthest I'd walked in so long, my muscles were not yet built up to walking so far. I was currently in Inuyasha's arms, bridal style rather than the usual way on his back. We came upon a village that I barely recognized. But something about the large fortress-like wall surrounding it and the smoke flowing from the cave just outside of the walls seemed so familiar…

Inuyasha let me down beside him, waiting for me to remember. Then it dawned on me. We were at the slayers' village! "We came to see Sango? We came to see Sango!" I jumped back into his arms, thanking him a million times over.

"And Miroku."

I gasped. "You mean they really did get married? I thought that was just my Sango's little imagination and combining reality with stories."

"There was any doubt in your mind that those two wouldn't run off together after we beat Naraku?" His voice was knowing, and a little disbelieving.

"Well, no, I guess not."

"And guess what?"

"They have four kids."

"Well that's a major duh. Miroku being the way he is, they should have twenty kids!"

"Surprisingly, being married has settled him down a little, though I'm sure Sango still doesn't hear the end of it. Believe it or not, his eldest son has taken over the position, much to her dismay. She's still trying to break his habit before it gets too out of hand."

I laughed. It was good to Hear about my old friends. "So are we going to see them or not?" I grabbed his hand and attempted to drag him to the gate.

"Oh we're going, but we have to get you introduced properly. They'll recognize you all right, which is why I get to go in and pretend like I just came for a visit to get away from my 'depression' and pretend that you never came back…" He continued telling me the plan, and then went off to find their hut. He his me behind it and went inside, trying to look miserable as we played a little joke on our best friends.

Onlooker's POV 

Inuyasha strolled through the door, not bothering to knock—he never did. A look of sadness was plastered on his face as he his joy well. Sango looked up from her cooking and Miroku from his reading while Kilala mewed her welcome.

"Ah, Inuyasha. Come for a visit? Sit down, sit down."

Inuyasha did as told without so much as a "hello Miroku, how are you?" But that was to be expected. Inuyasha never spoke much these days.

"Still gloomy? I still say you should go get her. You know she's waiting for you. She can't come back without the jewel, which you have, so at least go take it to her."

"Keh." Inuyasha looked down as he had so many times in the past ten years. The monk couldn't really blame his friend for his sadness. After all, he would die if his Sango ever left him. The poor man had been through so much; he finally cracked—some years ago, actually. Surprisingly though, the half-demon was no listless very often. Sure he was depressed and moped around, but he still found the will to live.

Sango came in from outside. No one even noticed she had left, or come back. She sat down next to Miroku and leaned against him. Inuyasha only looked down farther.

"How long are you staying with us, Inuyasha?" She asked.

"For a while, who knows? Maybe until it's time for your next visit." Inwardly, Inuyasha knew this would be a lot sooner than they thought. They usually showed up every new moon, though had for some reason skipped this past time. Perhaps it was his rudeness towards them the last time they visited.

"Well, dinner is almost ready then. Would you like some?" Sango knew the answer would be no. He never ate anymore. So she was quite surprised to see his head nod. She looked at him strangely, but served him anyway, knowing he would not wait for the rest of them. That was just how he had been since Kagome left.

Sango couldn't imagine the pain he was feeling. She was the only one who was able to keep him going. Without her, he was nothing.

She stepped outside of the hut just a little. "Saisho! Tame! Kai! Kuri! Shippo! Dinner!"

There was an echo of four 'coming mom's and one 'coming Sango.' Poor Shippo had never quite gotten used to the fact that his surrogate mother left him. He never called Sango mother, because she just wasn't the same. But he went on with life. He knew that one day Inuyasha would crack and go find her. Hopefully she was still at the shrine.

The five children entered the room followed by four 'Hi, Uncle Inuyasha's and one 'Hi Inuyasha'. Just as they were all served and began eating, Kagome opened the flap. "Am I late?"

Everyone looked up. The shock on their faces was too much for Inuyasha and he burst into laughter, gaining even more hilarious glances from the others. But it didn't take long for Shippo to sniff the intruder's scent.

"KAGOME!" The kit attempted to jump into his mother's arms as he used to, and for once forgot his size after his growth spurt several years ago. She laughed a little at his attempts and hugged him as well.

Sango was up next. "Kagome, is it really you? You're not some illusion Inuyasha found?"

Kagome laughed and hugged her best friend. "Of course it's me. I've missed you so much!"

Miroku was next. He ran over to her, ready to hug her senseless, but a snarl from Inuyasha and a glare from Sango later, he settled for nodding his head politely towards her.

The other four children looked around, not exactly understanding what happened and why their 'uncle' was so happy so suddenly. (A/N: remember, they've never seen him smile. )

Kagome looked to them. "You must be Sango and Miroku's kids." She smiled at them.

Sango was quick to her feet. "Forgive me, Kagome, I should introduce you." She pointed to a young girl, about nine years old. She wore a slayer's outfit like Sango's, but instead of pink, it was blue. "This is my eldest, Saisho. She was born about a year after you left." Next was a young boy, maybe seven or eight. He smiled as his mother got to him. He sure has ego like Miroku, Kagome thought. "Tame, my eldest son. Very sweet, but takes after Miroku, unfortunately. I was hoping to have pervert-free kids, but it seems the trait runs in the family." The last two were twins, one boy and one girl, about four years old. The boy wore a hakama similar to Inuyasha's and the girl a kimono like Sango's traveling clothes. "And my youngest, Kai and Kurisutaru."

"Kuri for short." The adorable young girl mentioned.

"Everyone, this is Kagome. She's a very good friend, and I want you to be nice to her. She's not from around here and is probably still getting used to the changes ten years have caused. Am I right, Kagome?"

"Well, somewhat. Not too much has changed, though Inuyasha seems to have lightened up a bit."

"That's just cuz he's been crying for ten years. He's overdue for some fun." Shippo chimed in.

"Well, Inuyasha, I take it from your expression that you knew of Kagome-sama's return before she entered our home, an I correct?"

"Course monk. How else would she have found this place? She barely recognized it."

"So when did you go get her?"

"I didn't. She came herself."

"So Kagome, what caused you to return? We're all happy to see you, but after ten years, it seemed pretty final." Kagome looked to Inuyasha who looked at her. Silently, they agreed to tell them everything…once the kids were in bed.

A/N:

Well, hope ya'll are happy now. I just spent five flippin hours writing you 14 pages of nothing! I should probably mention who said those verses Izayoi liked so much.

_Mine is an unchanging love, _

_Higher than the heights above, _

_Deeper than the depths beneath, _

_Free and faithful, strong as death._

William Cowper; _Lovest Thou Me?_

_Don't talk of love,_

_But I've heard the words before:_

_It's sleeping in my memory._

_I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that have died._

_If I never loved I never would have cried._

And…

_We are the music makers,_

_The dreamers of dreams,_

_Wandering by the lone sea breakers,_

_Sitting by the desolate streams._

_World losers and world forsakers,_

_Upon whom the pale moon gleams._

_Yet we are the movers and shakers,_

Of the world forever it seems… 

I don't know who said/wrote those. They are on a Wolf's Rain wallpaper that I found and currently have on my desktop. I can say that they don't belong to me.

Name Translation time!

Tame- good

Saisho- beginning

Kai- together

Kurisutaru- Crystal (she is named after one of my best friends. Her name is Kuri for short so I don't have to spell all that out five times per chappie.)

Just in case someone doesn't know/doesn't remember/hasn't seen the movie _Titanic_:

The Heart of the Ocean is a really beautiful necklace that Jack gives to Rose and is found years later and eventually given back to him at the end. It is about the size of a normal locket and is composed of a sapphire shaped like a heart surrounded in diamonds. It is very beautiful. Look it up some time if you want to see it.

Ok, I know the song at the beginning has nothing to do with this chappie, but I wanted to use it cuz I love that song. It sorta fits the story as a whole, though.

And well, I think that's about it. See ya'll later! Oh, and next chappie will have the legend, I promise!

_**Midnight-Wolf-314**_


	24. Chapter 22:Probably Wouldn't Be This Way

A/N: Welcome to another chappie of FMN! Today, I have been very bored. Nothing to do… BUT we did get Bellsouth now so instead of AOL being its butt headed self, we got something WORTH the money. AOL really ticked us off. Go to my LJ if you want to hear lots about it. But the good news with that is now I have YIM and AIM on my real s/n's!

YIM: voiceofastarael

AIM: terra2468

So yeah, come chat sometime if ya want!

Anyways, I got a lot of reviews this chappie, so again I'm just going to write down your names. But I'll have the occasional comment to your review if it needed one.

REVIEWERS:

PinK cutie KaGomE-micael m

micael m

Brittney (I love Kenny's new song! I'd use it in this fic if I had someone to die so I could,

but I don't wanna do that. It'd be too sad. And "All Jacked Up" is a great song. I

love her work, esp. that one and "Redneck Woman".)

Clouds of the Sky

Kawaii Bell

craziedazie (thanks for both! -)

THE-REAL-MYSTIC

Pon Pon Pocky

shadow wolfe (luv your name!)

chronosaura (thanks for the info. -)

Lord of the Blades

Luvergirl1632

An Alien Beauty (looked up that song. I may use it eventually. Thanks. )

Inu2kagfan

Faeriefeline125

Tsuki Ryokochan

Sachichan16

Thanks to every one of you!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha or the song "Probably Wouldn't be This Way" by Leann Rimes.

_I probably wouldn't be this way _

_I probably wouldn't hurt so bad _

_I never pictured every minute without you in it _

_Oh, you left so fast _

_Sometimes I see you standing there _

_Sometimes it's like I'm losing touch _

_Sometimes i feel that i'm so lucky _

_To have had the the chance to love this much _

_God, give me a moments grace _

_Cause if i'd never seen your face _

_I probably wouldn't be this way _

Forget Me Not

Chapter 22

Inuyasha and I, along with everyone but the four kids, stayed up most of the night hearing out the stories each of them told—I told of my years back home and my marriage, Sango and Miroku about what they'd been up to, and well, we all already knew what Inuyasha had been up to.

Sango seemed both surprised and happy that I had named my daughter after her. It was decided that we would all travel to Kaede's village together, and they would be staying for quite some time. But that brought up the little problem of how on earth we'd be able to distinguish between both Sangos. One would need a nickname of some sort. But we'd come up with that when my Sango was there to help with the decision.

Then we got on to the topic of Kurnai. Inuyasha retold the poem to them, which I had not heard either. It had been decided that we needed to do something about him, and that they would all help. It would be just like before—a new adventure, a new bad guy, and even a couple new people.

Miroku had been thinking about the rhyme for a while, claiming that it sounded familiar. He hadn't been back to Master Mushin's temple for actual research in quite some time, but it seemed he had read something about it long ago.

About an hour after he had left the group to contemplate while Sango and I caught up and Inuyasha sat in the corner, he came back claiming he had remembered.

"The story behind the poem is more of a legend than a truth. It was a story told a long time ago by our ancestors, all of whom told this story more as an explination, more of a what-if, than an actual truth.

"At the beginning of the earth, not only were there demons, but angels as well. These ten angels, all named after the element they control—water, fire, wind, snow, darkness, light, earth, moon, sun, and stars—were meant to run the earth and it's demons. For example, the angel of earth would reside somewhere similar to a mountain. She would be able to control all powers of rock and stone from just moving boulders to creating mudslides and earthquakes. Not only would she control the earth element, but the demons residing in her lands. On any mountain, in any cave, any demon who was there would follow her rules.

"About ten thousand years after the creation of these angels, along with the Earth itself, the demons rebelled against the angels. No more would they take orders from someone just because they were supposed to. If the demons were to follow these creatures, their powers would have to be greater than that of any demon. In every element, the demons fought against their angel, outnumbering him or her by the millions. Only four angels— Water, Fire, Wind, and Snow—were completely destroyed. The other angels fled, though no man or demon knew where.

"These mighty angels were still able to control their elements, but they could not control the demons. This was at the least of their worries however. The four angels that had fallen during the rebellion could not control their elements, and this was disrupting the pattern of existence for everything.

"The oceans, once calm and peaceful, were now filled with waves and disturbances. Every now and again, giant ones would hit the shore, causing utter destruction to the land. The rain came almost every day in some areas, causing flooding, while in others, it rained little and resulted in draught.

"Forest fires ran amok, destroying many homes for the innocent, burning trees not yet ready to die. And with no rain in these areas, there was little any angel could do about it.

"Wind was going insane, sometimes combining with water to create hurricanes and monsoons and every now and then would join with the dust of plains and prairies to creates twisters.

"And snow was causing blizzards beyond imagination, often trespassing in Earth's domain of the mountains and some parts of the ocean, near the ends of the earth.

"These four elements were destroying everything that the others worked so hard to create, and with those four angels gone, no other could match the power needed to stop it. Something needed to be done, though they could do nothing.

"The idea eventually arose that perhaps they could _create_ an angel to work the elements by reproducing themselves. These angels, destined to live forever, had never needed to go to such drastic measures as to reproduce before, but now it was needed desperately. These offspring were unfortunately not powerful enough to be considered angels, though they did have strong spiritual powers. They were human however, and did not contain the powers necessary to control the four crazy elements.

"The angels tried everything they could think of to give their daughters (for all offspring were girls) the power needed from strategically matching up angels who were somewhat close to the element needed, to dropping the babies in water and snow, thinking that perhaps they could 'grow' magic powers if placed near their element. None worked however, so the angels sent their daughters into the world to protect man and control the demons—the lesser of their two problems now solved. The angels' daughters are priestesses. Every priestess who was born with their spiritual powers and did not gain them over time, are offspring of these angels.

"But about a thousand years ago the angel of darkness grew tired of doing right while the world thought he was evil. He left the angels to become the 'fallen angel' and create true darkness and power throughout the earth.

"Darkness was the only angel who had never reproduced. He was above such things, he believed, but a little over nine hundred years later, he needed a child to go into the world as he could not and cause destruction. He was the only angel who did not need another angel to help the reproduction. His son, the only male child of an angel, was called Onigumo (A/N: at this point, all the entire circle of people gasp.) and was sent into the world to become a thief.

"Darkness was upset, though, that his son was human and cared less what happened to him. The angel did not, as he had planned, watch over his son and insure the destruction that was to come.

"Eventually, as we all know, Onigumo sold his soul to demons to become Naraku. This was as close to a demon as the angel of darkness could ever hope for, and he decided to help his son that was no longer his son.

"After Naraku's death, we hear no more of the angel of darkness, though it is said that only the daughter of Stars and Sun would have the amount of spiritual energy needed to destroy the angel of darkness and rid the world of his powers.

"It seems to me, Kagome, that this Kurnai you speak of has some sort of connection to Darkness and believes you to be Stars and Sun's daughter, most likely since you delivered the final blow to Naraku. He must be seeking revenge for the angel, if you could call him that anymore, and for Naraku. He is powerful however, so I'd steer clear of him until we know more."

We sat in silence after that, all of us thinking of what we'd learned for what was left of the night.

It had been decided that we would leave for Kaede's hut in the morning. We couldn't leave Rin and Sesshomaru alone for too long with my friends—they'd drive the poor Lord (not to mention his mate) crazy with their insanity. And Sango must be missing me.

So, when everyone was awake, including all the kids, we set out none of us knowing how long they would stay.

Not long after, the twins began to get tired. Being at the beginning of their training, they had not built up enough stamina to walk great distances. We had to stop for an hour when Inuyasha and Shippo got into an argument as to who would carry the twins and when I almost 'sat' Inuyasha, he went into his pouting phase and refused to come out until Shippo agreed to take at least one of the twins.

So that's how we looked—quite strange. Think about it: a hanyou, two youkai, an   
ex-monk (still wearing his robes), a demon slayer, and a miko-in-training, and four young children all together in one little pack. Just like old times, not considering the fact that the party had at least doubled in size.

It didn't take long to get back to Kaede's, seeing as how we skipped Inuyasha's village, the cave, and the cliff. I knew he wouldn't want to explain it again, and didn't share that information lightly.

Sango was just outside the village, waiting for Inuyasha and me to return. She ran straight up and hugged me and then looked strangely at Inuyasha—as if unsure how she should greet him. A friend? A father? Or just as a guy? She made her pick soon enough and hugged him as well. And Inuyasha, who I had never seen do anything remotely as sweet as this to a child, picked her up and spun her around, like only a father would do.

I smiled at the sight, glad that they were getting along. After all, Inuyasha and I _were_ as close to being married as we could be without the ceremony. I felt the mark under the kimono I wore and smiled just thinking of it. I was his for eternity now, and nothing in the world, mine or his, could ever change that or take it away.

I could tell Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were smiling too, apparently happy that their friends were back and well again. The children were looking on in facination at the sight, obviously never having seen 'uncle' Inuyasha act this way—or even act happy, for that matter.

The looks were different on their faces however. Kai and Kuri looked in happiness, more than ready to have a close friend with which to play. Saisho looked as though she just found the best friend in her life, as if she could already tell they had a connection.

And Tame…had a smirk. A smirk I'd only seen from one other person—he truly was Miroku's son. Another Sango/Miroku romance headed our way it seemed. We'd have the pervert and the girl who would, most likely (I have a gift for telling these things), love each other. As they grew, she'd never admit to loving the perverted, yet handsome, young man who refused to hold his hand back and flirted with every girl he saw.

Well, if Sango had to find someone, I'd rather it be my best friends' son. I smiled. I had a feeling we'd all be quite happy together.

Sango seemed to have just noticed our company and squealed. "This is why you took so long, Mama." She smiled and I did too.

"Yes, sweetie, this is Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kilala," and then I pointed to their kids, "And their four children, Tame, Saisho, Kai, and Kuri." All of them smiled. "And guys, I guess you know by now that this is Sango." It felt so weird to introduce two Sangos to each other. We really needed a way to tell them apart…but what?

We were cut short from our greetings and introductions by a small rustling of bushes near us. Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and Sango readied Hiraikotsu, both ready for battle with the intruder, or intruders.

"Inuyasha, you baka, use your nose for once." Sesshomaru's voice came through the branches of a rather large shrub-like plant. We all bent down around it, trying to see the hidden Lord and noticed his mate there as well.

"And just why is the 'great' Lord of the Western Lands hiding in a bush?" Inuyasha chuckled.

"Hiding," he looked at me, "from your nosy friends! They've been stalking me since you left." He sniffed the air. "Act like we're not here." It was almost a plea, yet not quite.

We all stood up just as Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi entered through the forest. "Kagome!" They all screamed as they ran over and gave a 'group hug' or more like a schnoogle or a glomp to use their terms.

"Everyone seemed utterly confused as they noticed the others. I sighed. Another introduction. "Girls, you remember me telling you about Sango and Miroku?" Three heads nodded. "Well, you get to meet them. Along with their four kids, Shippo, and Kilala." I turned to everyone else. "These are my school friends, Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi. They're semi-crazy, but we love 'em anyway."

"Oh, and Sesshomaru, you and Rin can come out from that bush." Inuyasha smirked as he gave his brother away. Three squeals were heard and then…"SESSHY!" They all ran over to him, attempting to glomp him as well, but I held them back.

"I think I need some rosary for you three, too. Calm down, you're scaring him off. And eventually he'll get all evil on you and try to feed you to Ah-Un. And I don't think Rin would object much?" I looked to her and she shook her head.

"Well, with that settled, I think we all need to have a talk."

A/N: SOOOOOOO SORRY! Please forgive this being so short! I'm sorry! I'll update soon, I promise! Just don't hurt me.

I am seriously out of ideas though.

Ok, glossary:

baka- idiot/stupid

glomp- a large hug, usually started with running towards the person and ;atching onto them tightly. It's RPG/forum talk.

schnoogle- thought to be pretty much the same thing, though no one's really sure. It's a way of greeting someone on a forum.

Well, that's about it for now. Mum's gotta use the computer, so see ya!


	25. Chapter 23: Waltz of the Moon

A/N: Hello everyone, and let me just say: FINALLY! I know I haven't updated in so long, please, please forgive me! I have reasons, but you'd probably yell at me for them and say I'm an undedicated Inuyasha fan and that they aren't any real excuse. And you know what? You'd be right! See, other than Inuyasha, I have one TRUE obsession. And that true obsession is Harry Potter, which I loved long before I'd even heard of Inuyasha. Normally, my HP fan-girl attitude is toned down due to lack of new material to google over. But, every time something new comes out, like a new book or movie, I go into over-time with Harry Potter. Last time I updated I do believe was either right before or right after the new movie came out, which I was totally in love with. The first week it was out, all I could think of was the coming weekend when I could see the movie with one of the most dedicated and boy-crazy friends I have. After we saw it, we were completely obsessed with Viktor Krum and Cedric because they are total hotties. Then a week later I saw it again, and just again today. I have spent the last month in a Harry Potter frenzy finding all kinds of fun things and visiting old sites and reading my old favorites when it comes to fanfiction. Not to mention it was almost a whole month before I got to watching Inuyasha on TV again because I own the eppies they were playing and have seen them more times than I can count and know every word of them by heart.

Reason 2: this isn't a true excuse but I'll tell you anyway, is that it's the end of the year! I assume you all are familiar with the hectic ways of the holidays, yes? I was broke, so I've been doing about 50 chores attempting to make money. Not to mention shopping and finals. As the year goes on, Vocab. Tests get harder and exams approach. Then, not to mention, we had to do a research paper for English for a pretty good part of our grade that I needed to get just right, so there went two weeks of research and typing down the tube.

Oh, and did I mention a semi-new obsession? See, after getting me to read his fanfic, Jordan had me convinced that quite possibly the Zelda games were worth playing even though I am not a good gamer in the slightest and the only games I've ever beaten are Spyro 3, Pokemon, and Harry Potter 1 & 2. That's pretty pathetic, so I don't usually play videogames. Even though Zelda was quite popular, it didn't seem like something that I could play and get passed anywhere. But, thanks to Jordan, I got one for Christmas and have been playing it non-stop for a week. I finally beat it on Thursday morning after pulling an all-nighter just in time to go to Chattanooga and to Game Exchange with Christmas money to buy two new games and am currently in the middle of the first one.

Oh, but did I mention what else I got for Christmas? How about the boxed second season of Inuyasha! Along with vo.28 _Promise of the Past_ which is a great volume I might add. Why? Because Ayame totally rocks! I have been attempting to watch all of these eppies and trying to play Zelda at the same time, which means one of them gets pretty much ignored. I eventually just played Zelda because I found it is much more fun with the music, and is probably the only game I've played where you should keep the music on all the time.

In short, I have been VERY busy. Not that that's any excuse, but I felt like saying it anyway. So, even though my last chappie stunk, I'd like to thank the eight of you who were dedicated enough to review anyway:

He Who Lurks in Shadow- of course I mentioned you! And I'm glad I got you addicted. Now we're even since you got me into Zelda. -

Magicgirl45852

Remenecent

Pon Pon Pocky

Inu2kagfan

Clouds of the Sky

PInK cuTie KaGomE-micael m

THE-REAL-MYSTIC

Thanks so much! I love you all, you know that, right? Anyway, I have had a very good friend help me out with the riddle and he gave me some insight. Unfortunately, I have already written the legend and posted it. Please don't get mad if I twist it around a little and had Miroku's tale a little…off. No, I'm not going back to change it, but I might (still undecided, but might) have some of his info not entirely correct. My friend's insight on my riddle was a lot better than mine was, so I'm just warning you. And thank you Jordan for helping me out with my writer's block::waves to Jordan:

Anyways, I suppose I should get on with the story, so here you go!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha or the song "The Waltz of the Moon" from the Anime series _Wolf's Rain_.

_Blanc ou noir comme toi je parts au loin,_

_avec l'espoir de changer le destin._

_Bien que dans le corps l'âme embrase,_

_dans l'obscurité la distance devient infinie._

_Avec des jeunes vêtus en peau de bête,_

_on danse ensemble au milieu des tempêtes._

_Un autre horizon se dissout_

_dans la lumière des yeux qui veulent se reveiller._

_Et, j'attend là,_

_où rien bouge maintenant._

_Même si je ne te vois pas_

_Je peux retrouver ce que l'on cherche dans la nuit,_

_même si c'est très difficile_

_je danserai mon chemin avec les loups._

_Je sentirai la lumière sur ma peau,_

_sin avoir peur de tes mauvaises côtés._

_C'est la lune qui conduit la danse_

_quand le soleil sera couché dans ton âme froide._

_Je t'attend là,_

_où rien bouge maintenant._

_Où l'ombre dèploit tous ses voiles_

_Je peux retrouver ce que l'on cherche dans la nuit._

_Même si c'est très difficile_

_je danserai mon chemin avec les loups._

_(translation at bottom)_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 23: The Waltz of the Moon

Weeks went by without any further problems or rumors. I could not believe there had been no sightings of Kurnai. Most of us were beginning to question weather the legend was really true or if it was merely a rhyme Kurnai came up with to confuse us. We were all bored with waiting and worrying.

There was a light dusting of snow over the ground and we were all enjoying it. The children were playing while Sango taught them how to build snowmen and make snow angels, though the boys were currently trying to get them all into a snowball fight.

Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi were also trying to make the best of the snow, though in a rather strange way. They were stalking Sesshomaru at the moment while hiding behind bushes and throwing snow at him whenever he turned his back. Sesshomaru himself was using all of his self-control to not kill the poor girls. Well, so Rin was helping him a bit…okay, a lot. The point being, he was not a happy dog demon. I wondered how long it would be before he lost his temper and hurt them.

Miroku and Sango had earlier in the week taken Kilala to scout for rumors and we had yet to hear back from them. So with them away, the kids playing, the girls flirting with the dog demon lord of the western lands, and the latter attempting to escape them, Inuyasha and I were left alone for the first time since before we found Sango and Miroku. And did I mention that Inuyasha wasn't planning on wasting a minute of it?

Early that morning, he picked me up and rushed out the door, giving me no explination as to where we were going. All of my guesses were proved wrong when we went in the opposite direction, or went past it.

Eventually we had come to a huge tree, taller than all of the others…even the Sacred Tree. On top of the tree, we could see all the valley along with the mountains in the distance and even the faintest outline of the ocean in the far distance. It was breathtaking and we did nothing more than sit in the branches together for the morning. We returned to the village, however, shortly before midday knowing the kids would want lunch and our other two dog demons would like a rest from a certain three boy-crazy girls…

The rest of the day passed uneventfully as usual, and before long the full moon was gazing down upon us as I walked through the forest with my daughter whom I had not spent much time with in the past couple weeks. It had taken quite a bit of arguing and a couple sit threats before Inuyasha finally agreed to let us go without him.

'That demon is still after you.'

'And he has not showed himself in the past month! What makes you so sure he will tonight?'

Our argument echoed through my head, as my paranoia began to get the better of me. I had brought my bow with me, though there was no guarantee that I wouldn't pass out like the last time, or that my arrows would even have effect on him. He was an angel after all—though a fallen one. I was also keeping close to the village, and to Inuyasha. He would not be able to hear our voices at normal level, but any manner of scream would reach his sensitive ears and he would undoubtedly be able to find us within seconds.

But this did not interfere with our time together. Our current situation would surely cause us to spend less time together, as half of our group went to fight while the children and my school friends stayed behind. Her relationship with me would come close to breaking apart from a regular mother-daughter likeness, just as mine did with my mother's. Strange how the Feudal Era had a way of doing that to a family, isn't it. But I had little doubts about this, as my relationship with my family was strengthened as I spent less time with them.

"Tell me, Sango. Do you miss our era when we're here?"

"Yes, but it's fun here too. I get to see my new friends every day, and they're so nice and sincere. Back there, the kids are so different. The older kids think they're so much better than we are, but here everyone gets along together. The siblings don't argue much, except for Inuyasha and Sesshy and we can be outside all the time. Plus, there's no school!

"Of course, it's not the same as our house. I miss TV and the computer and battery things like my Game Boy and electricity, but there's so many more fun things to do here…I do wish I could have my books here though, but you said that Daddy was mean and got rid of it all."

"That is easily fixable though. We could buy new books, if you want them here, and we still have the ones from Grandma's house. But that's good. I'm glad you like it here, but you realize that this is going to be more dangerous than you could ever imagine. We have a strong enemy this time, probably even stronger than Naraku. It will take a lot of time and a lot of patience to win against him. And you know that you won't be coming with us. It's up to you, but you and your new friends may be safer in our time with Grandma and Uncle Sota. The rest of us would stay here for the most part, but we'd visit often and as soon as we're done with Kurnai Inuyasha has suggested more than a few times to go back. He'd come with us, of course, but I don't think that anyone else could, Though Aunt Rin and Uncle Sesshy would probably still be alive."

"I'd rather not. I don't care about the danger. It's way more fun here. It's like I'm living a TV show or a video game."

"But realize that this isn't TV or a video game. We're not guaranteed to make it back alive. I don't mind you staying, but I want you to understand full-well that this isn't a game. It's reality, and you've only seen a taste of the pain that you will should you stay here. You'd also see the ones you care for, including myself and Inuyasha, hurt more times than you can count. And it won't be scratches either. Inuyasha used to get near fatal injuries on a weekly basis back when we were after Naraku. He would have died about thirty times over if not more were he human. He usually gets most of the damage, but the rest of us will be down often enough. I want you to understand that."

"It doesn't matter…I'll stay." I smiled and hugged her.

"You're just like me, you know. I realize that's rather cliché for a parent to tell his or her child, but you are. I did the exact same thing, and it must have been the right choice. It changed my life entirely, but I never once regretted it."

I realized that we had walked entirely around the village in the time of my thoughts and our conversation. We had just passed the hot spring and were headed towards Goshinboku where we had started. "Shall we head back? I'm sure Inuyasha is fairly close to ignoring the fact that I told him I'd sit him into the next dimension if he came after us and is currently about to leave the village."

We laughed and turned down the well-worn path to the village. However, we didn't get more than two steps in that direction. There, standing straight in front of us on the trail, was a beautiful silver wolf. Her coat was brilliant, shining in the pale moonlight, though she was rather large for a regular wolf. Out of instinct, I let out a scream, my paranoia finally getting the better of me while Sango his behind me, her glimpse of Koga having scared her of the wolves that were once her favorite animal.

"Hush, child, you of all people should know of a wolf's sensitive ears. There is no reason for fright. Are you not the priestess Kagome?" Her voice was smooth and delicate. It was a soft, almost motherly tone, though it held power and authority. The she-wolf had a friendly aura about her now, I realized a bit too late, though she was strong and anyone who dared to cross her would not live much longer.

"Put that thing down and answer me," she barked, almost quite literally. I had still not recovered from the shock of finding out that a wolf was speaking to me, though I lowered the bow I didn't recall drawing.

"Y-yes, my name is Kagome." I stammered out as best I could, trying to appear as though I talked to wolves on a daily basis, though not succeeding in the slightest.

"Then you are familiar with…" She stopped mid-sentence not finishing what I should have been familiar with. "Someone approaches. It seems your call had its intended purpose. Come out, Inuyasha. You have come to protect the girl I assume?"

It seemed that Inuyasha had just arrived, having jumped from the bushes we knew to be a short cut from the village. Before anyone had time to protest, he was in front of me, Tetsusaiga drawn and ready for battle with the unidentified wolf.

"Relax, pup. As I told the girl, I have no intention of harming you. Since you are both here, I should introduce myself. My name is Tsuki and I am an angel of the moon. I learned two weeks ago that Kurnai had told you of legend and informed you that he was after Kagome, am I correct?"

I gave Inuyasha a warning glare and stepped in front of him. "Yes, he did. Though he only gave us a rhyme, a friend of ours told us of the legend."

"Yes, the monk would know some of it, though I am sure he could not have known all of it. Only parts of it are known by any other being besides the angels. I have come to tell you the full part, though we should go somewhere else…we can settle in my cave not far from here if you like."

Inuyasha looked ready to explode. "You think we're idiots? You want us to just follow you? If we come willingly, it's not a kidnapping, right?"

"Inuyasha…"

But to my surprise, Tsuki laughed. Smart boy, though you think too much. I have power you cannot imagine. If I wanted to, I could crash the moon into this earth as we speak. If I had wanted to take you against your will for whatever reason, I would have forced the girls with me and when you came to rescue them, I would have killed you. I am not you enemy. If I were, you most surely would have known by now."

"We've seen this trick before. Naraku tried to act civilized as well, at least to those who didn't know of his evil. He posed as a kind lord for three years, did he not? But anyone who ever trusted him ended up dead."

"But you forget, pup, that I am ten times stronger than you will ever hope to be. I could have taken down your father in one sweep of my paw and crunched Sounga, the sword from hell, into tiny pieces with my jaw. You are a flea compared to my power, crushed between your blunt nails like that servant of yours. If you don't believe me, go ahead. Fight me now. I'll have you down before you can blink. I care not weather you choose to accompany me or not, or if you wish to talk at all. My priority is stopping Kuragari and if you do not want our alliance, then far be it from me to force it on you."

'Kuragari?'I warned Inuyasha once again with my glare and stepped once again in front of him. We will accompany you to your cave, angel, though I think Sango should return to the village and tell the others not to worry."

**!A Cave Just Outside of the Village!**

"I'm sure your friend told you about the beginning, which is completely true. That part slipped out to the humans, who now know about us, but thankfully they do not yet know where. It did, however, take one year for the first four angels to fall from the earth. They did not die together. It was discovered after the legend was archived that the first line also seemed to reflect that meaning, giving a hint to each of the four seasons. Though it was discovered after the poem was written, that year was the most destructive the world has ever known, and it serves a small but important part to the legend, though you need not know much of it. Fighting broke out between who once may have been the best of friends. And through all of this madness, the world was ruined from the paradise that we once knew.

"It was thought to be that there was a betrayer among the angels, though since it was merely a rumor at the time of this happening, we did not record it. Along with this 'prophecy' it was said that when the betrayer recited the poem to 'his enemy who knew naught', the destruction would repeat itself once again. That is why it is important to stop Kuragari from creating the disaster yet again. It-" She stopped and looked directly at me.

"Forgive me. You wonder who Kuragari is, yes? He is the angel of darkness, or Kurnai as he is known to you. His real name was 'Kuragari' meaning 'darkness'. We angels were named after the elements we control. After he fell, Kuragari was no longer considered an angel, but a demon of hatred. He renamed himself 'dark night' so as not to be confused with the angel he once was.

"Over the years, we angels were separated, each returning to his or her respective lands, only caring of when the unbalanced elements entered our own domain. Soon, we must gather together once again, for we know that Kuragari will be gathering the demons together to rebel as they did all those thousands of years ago. He will corrupt their minds, and while we no longer control them as we once did, he will lead them to believe that they still hate us.

"We all must gather together, while we summon as many demons and humans alike to help us as will follow us.

"I'm sure the monk also told you of San and Torento, the angels of the Sun and Stars, attempting one last time to create an angel together. I must tell you that they attempted more than once—three times to be exact. I'm sure you know, Kagome, you are one of them, and you will know of the other two once I tell you.

"The first one did her duty well, and fought hard against the many demons who she encountered. She was on earth only about a thousand years after the revolution, and many demons who were alive at that time were in the battle. She knew her mission and she did it well, even through all of the demons that came seeking the power of the angels whose powers resembled that of gods. She also created one of the most coveted items on earth today, and while her intentions were pure, her creation has caused many to succumb to greed and evil. I'll let you place who she is. Any guesses?"

Though her description was vague, I knew of one person. Her creation had indeed caused much hatred through the world. But then that would mean… "Midoriko is my sister?"

"Very good. Close to your sister, anyway. It is complicated magic, but we shall get to that later.

"The second one both of you know personally. You are probably more aware of your connection with her, Kagome. After all, you have been told that you share a soul. Yes, Kikyo was the second try. While she did her duty well enough, Kikyo grew jealous of the lives around her, wishing that somehow she could have a 'normal' life."

I was beginning to get confused. "But that would mean that Kaede was also a daughter of Sun and Stars. There would be four of us, if I am truly their daughter as well."

"And that is where it begins to get complicated. Even Midoriko, though she knew more of her destiny than Kikyo, was not born by them, only created. As I am a wolf, you should have figured out that not all of us take on human form. Only two did—light and darkness, though both have other forms. But that is unimportant.

"We are of different animals, Torento is a unicorn while San is a cheetah. It is impossible, even with our powers, for them to conceive a child inside themselves. To put it simply, they combine their magics together to create life from both, but they cannot house the soul inside themselves. They chose a human female who was with child, though not far enough along for the child to have acquired a soul, and placed the combined form inside the fetus as its soul. The child would be born by human parents and raised as a human.

"Depending on when they were ready, they were informed about their true origin respectively. Midoriko found out young, while Kikyo knew nothing until she was entrusted with the Jewel. Kikyo was created by angels, but born by humans. By blood, she is family to the elder priestess you speak of, but by spirit and soul, she is family to you and Midoriko.

"While Kikyo was protecting the jewel her sister created, she began to doubt her destiny and chose to ignore it by releasing her power into the open, creating the rumor that it was her love for you, Inuyasha, that made her weak.

"After she refused her destiny, Kikyo's plan turned against her. The bandit Onigumo, the only one to know of her plan, became the demon known as Naraku and took advantage of the fact that her power was gone as he tricked and killed her.

"You see, after Midoriko died, Kuragari fell and began to look for a way to control the earth himself by also creating a child. Because he had only himself and no counterpart, it took him hundreds and thousands of years to find a way to produce an evil soul for a body. He chose one you know, not having met him, but having met one born of him.

"Kurnai placed the corrupted soul inside the child who was to be called Onigumo. The fallen angel, after thousands of years' research, had hoped that he had gained enough magic, insight, and power to create a god since the child would be born only from him. Since there was no second person while creating this child Onigumo, he was not placed inside of a human body and, as strange as it may seem to you, gave birth to the child himself through magic.

"Kurnai believed that since the child was only of himself, as well as born through his magic and body, that Onigumo would be a demon—that he had created the way to make a child with the powers of himself and not as a 'weak' human like the others. But, Onigumo was born and Kurnai was disappointed with the fact that his child wasn't a demon, and held no powers at all. He was a human and that was it. Kurnai despised Onigumo, and while he raised him evil, Onigumo could not take over the angels because he was merely a human bandit. When Kurnai finally got fed up with his son's pathetic attempt for gaining power, he caused his only child to become covered by burn marks.

"Unfortunately, this worked in his favor. You see, as soon as Onigumo was born, San and Torento realized that they needed another daughter to pick up where Midoriko left off and destroy Kurnai's offspring. But once Kikyo crossed paths with Onigumo, he was already injured and immobile. Kikyo knew that Kurnai had done it to him and had also figured that he could do nothing to harm her in his current state. Having pitied his life, she took care of him and Onigumo began to lust for her.

"When Kurnai discovered that his son, though human and weak, was lusting for his deepest enemy, he took measures into his own hands. As Onigumo grew more jealous of you, Inuyasha, he began to wish more and more for a body that would allow him to get what he desired.

"When Kurnai suggested reformation, Onigumo, blinded by lust and greed, accepted without further thought. He became the demon called Naraku and not only killed Kikyo, but Inuyasha as well.

"In the year of your birth, Sun and Stars of the future created you along with the passage of the well for the reason that you, being from the future, could possibly have an advantage over your sisters. Though because it happened in the future, San and Torento have no recollection in this time of creating you. They have been informed, but they do not know details as they would with Kikyo and Midoriko. However, you should note that if either of them were to die in this upcoming battle, you would cease to exist and Kuragari would surely win.

"You are our last hope, Kagome. There will be no more Siblings of Purity in the future. I don't mean to pressure you, but, either you win, or the world dies."

A/N: I know this is again somewhat short, but you guys have got to give me credit on this one. I have been torturing myself over the past month on how to write this chappie, rewriting it at least three times, and not to mention, it is now 9:30AM. Guess what time I started my work on it. 4:30AM. I have been working on this chapter for FIVE FREAKING HOURS! I have been awake ALL NIGHT LONG trying to piece together this new and revised addition to the legend.

Oh, and let it be known that I did place a couple of Jordan's ideas into the new version, but I had planned on bringing in the angels to speak of it long before with the insight as to just what had happened before that would happen again. And no body get mad at me and say things about the improbability or Midoriko really being somehow connected to the two priestesses besides the power to purify the jewel. This fic has turned slightly AU and not much of this do I believe to have actually happened. They have their references to my beliefs, such as why Kikyo mysteriously had her powers weakened when getting close to Inuyasha while Kagome does not.

SPOILERS 

Oh, and don't be surprised if next chapter has some major fluff in it. I was watching my new Inuyasha episodes last night and I saw _The Wind Scar Fails_ where at the end, Naraku tells Inuyasha that Kikyo wants him dead and than at the end Inuyasha proves that while he's still an idiot, he's not blind and he DOES know that Kikyo is acting evil, and even after she gave half the jewel to Naraku and tried to kill both him and Kagome that he still 'loves' her. Oh, it got me very angered. So angered in fact, that I felt like an InuKag fluffy moment, even if it's sad and makes me cry, so I skipped over the Kaijinbo/Tokijin/Sesshomaru eppies it watch _Onigumo's Heart Still Beats Within Naraku_ and _Return to the Place Where we First Met_ just so I could hear Kagome say, even if only in her thoughts, that she loves Inuyasha and so I have more reason to murder Inuyasha for being a dense git (sorry about the British, but that's what I get for reading HP so much) and so I can cry because that eppie makes me cry. Anyone who's seen it should know why. :sob: poor Kagome, she's in love with an idiot who won't admit to himself that HE DOESN'T LOVE KIKYO LIKE HE THOUGHT HE DID and that she's mean for wanting him to change while Kagome loves him for who he is and not for what he could be and she has to put up with him running off to Kikyo even though she freakin wants him dead! Seriously! She pulled a freakin knife on him! Not to mention she was comparing his 'lust' as she puts it to Onigumo's! Oh, and anyone else who cries when Kagome says "I know I can't compete with Kikyo…after all, I'm still alive" you rock.

END SPOILERS 

Sorry for the rant, but really! Afterwords, I got a bit carried away like usual, so don't be surprised if you find LOADS of flashbacks next eppie too along with quotes.

Well, hopefully it won't be too long before I update again, now that I have my train of thought semi-back on Inuyasha.

Oh, did I mention I got a Sesshy plushie? Well I did. I huggle him daily. Actually, he's right here next to me, staring at me as I write. I like how they did his eyes though. They don't look evil or stoic or anything. They actually have emotion. YAY SESSHY PLUSHIE! Well, his crecent moon is lighter than it should be, and his hair is weird cuz it's felt, but his fluffy is…well…fluffy and they even kept his arm of which looks kinda funny but you don't really notice it. I guess I'm just used to looking at Sesshy with no left arm. Tee hee.

And by the way, for anyone who wants to know what the song at the beginning means:

_White or black as I depart beyond you,_

_with the hope to change destiny._

_Although in the body the soul blazes,_

_in the darkness the distance becomes infinite._

_With the youths dressed in the skin of beasts,_

_we dance together in the middle of tempests._

_Another horizon dissolves_

_in the light of eyes that want to awaken._

_And, I wait here,_

_Where nothing moves right now._

_Even if I don't see you_

_I can regain what we seek in the night;_

_Even if it's really difficult_

_I'll dance my path with the wolves._

_I will feel the light on my skin,_

_if I'm not afraid of your bad side._

_It's the moon that leads the dance_

_when the sun will set in your cold soul._

_I wait for you here,_

_where nothing moves right now._

_Where the shade laments all its veils_

_I can regain what we seek in the night._

_Even if it's very difficult_

_I will dance my path with the wolves. _

It is called The Waltz of the Moon and is from Wolf's Rain. I don't know what language it is in, but it's not Japanese. It looks like Russian though, but I don't know why Russian lyrics, while pretty, would be in Wolf's Rain.

And now that I've creeped you out with my thoughts on my Sesshy plushie and a long rant on eppies that made me wish to murder Inuyasha, I shall say goodbye until next time! Or should I say…good night. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

_**Midnight-Wolf-314**_


	26. Chapter 24: Learning to Fall

A/N: Hey all! Yeah, it's finally update time! And I've actually been working somewhat of the plot! Horay for the wonderful authoress, right? Ok, you don't have to care. But I went through and changed a couple animals for the angels, renamed one of them, and drew all of them out and colored them so now I know what they look like! Yay. Well, my biggest problem has been how the angels would look and I've changed them all about five times, beginning with modeling the fire angel, Kaji, somewhat after Syndrome from _The Incredibles_, to the animals they all are now. And of course, Kaji is my favorite one, but I was stupid and made him one of the dead angels so I can't bring him in! But I'm working on it…I feel a plot twist…or maybe not! It's a secret. One thought. I am going to change one angel and a little bit of another that I have already mentioned. I thought it over, and every time I thought about Tarento being a phoenix it just didn't feel right, especially not for the angel of Stars. The sun perhaps, but not the stars. I have gone back and changed Tarento to a unicorn to better fit his element. Also, San has gone through a semi-change. She is still a large cat, but is now a cheetah. Really sorry for the changes, but thankfully, I hardly mentioned their animal so hopefully it won't be too awful of a transition.

And also, I mentioned a couple times that all of the angels are named after their elements. There is now one exception to this part, though you don't have to worry about it too much since she has not yet been mentioned. I'll tell you who it is just in case you can't figure it out already when I mention her. It is an original name and I must thank my friend Jessi (#1) for the suggestion. And for the record, there are so many Jessie's in my life, I have to give them all numbers in order of my meeting them. So thank you Jessie#1!

Oh, and I have been thoroughly corrected on my horrible language skills by quite a few reviewers. The Waltz of the Moon is French, as determined by more than ¾ of my reviewers. Thank you for correcting me.

And I thank every single reviewer who reviewed! I am so close to 200 it's not even funny! So, a little inspiration for reviewers—the next person to review gets mentioned in the a/n next chappie for being number 200! And you get a cookie cuz unfortunately, I can't send anything else online.

So here are my wonderful reviewers!

He Who Lurks in Shadow

Kawaii Yashie

Jasmin

magicgirl145852

MaroonGoddess

Vicious Question Mark

Inuyeasha

PinK cuTie KaGomE-micael m

THE-REAL-MYSTIC

Kougaschick89

frani1375

Gryphon Rider

Pon Pon Pocky

Clouds of the Sky

CrazyInuHPfan

Thanks so much! You nice reviewers are my inspiration, you know that right? If not for you, I probably would have ended this around chapter seven without even bringing Sesshy and Rin into this little fiasco and it would have been like, 'they're all back together now, yay, the end'. So aren't you happy you review now?

Just a note, this chapter's song will be used in the next chapter too. It refers to both Inuyasha and Kagome, so they each have a respective verse. Just keep in mind that this song will be used again.

DISCLAIMER: Obviously I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does…God she's a manga genius. Anyways, I have absolutely no money and no status, so no suing me! And the song is called "Learning to Fall" by Martina McBride, my favorite female artist of well…forever. I love her work, so don't be surprised if you see much more of her later on and in other storys. I already have a couple ONE-SHOTS planned for her music that I will start shortly, so if you're a fan, be looking out for them.

And with that said, on with the chappie!

I was alone in the dark 

_Never let down my guard_

_Closed the curtain on my heart_

_So the world could not see_

_All the demons in me_

_Told myself I was free_

_You showed me how wrong I could be_

_Now I'm standing on a mountain of rubble_

_There once was a wall_

_Took years to build around me_

_And you came along _

_And you tore it down_

_Like it was nothing at all_

_Now it's a little scary_

_Learning to fall_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 24

It was about mid-morning before everyone sat down to discuss the new developments. We had left Tsuki's cave around what would have been near one thirty in the morning in my time, giving our thanks. All the while back, Inuyasha carried me seeing as I was so tired. He'd gotten me up at the crack of dawn to go to the tree, and we'd been up for so long, I needed sleep. Though all the while he bugged me about why on earth I screamed if I wasn't in danger and how I could be so careless as to trust someone after just a few sweet words. I was too tired to mention that the goddess was correct and that if she were there to kidnap or destroy us, she would have done it when she saw us and not waited to talk it out.

It turns out, Sango had been up all night with worry. I guess the whole Koga thing really scared her more than I thought. As soon as we returned and reassured her that Tsuki had been very nice and, aside from her argument with Inuyasha, had not even mentioned harming us in any way. She simply told us more of the story, and that was all.

Despite how tired I was, I found it hard to sleep. Everything about this legend was bugging me. If Kurnai really were stronger than Naraku, we'd be in huge trouble. More than half of the gigantic army we'd had before had died fighting Naraku, and Koga was no longer any help to us, therefore, our demon forces were strictly cut down. Sesshomaru had an army, though we doubted we could convince many of them to join us. Loyal as they were, they were demons first. Not to mention those who would revolt when they found out their lord's new mate was the human child, Rin. The servants would be there, but the army? No one knew.

And this was not simply a battle between all of us and one freaking ugly eyeball, but a battle between a demon who's not only stronger than Naraku, but who will have thousands, millions even, of youkai on his side. Even with all of the angels, we'd be greatly outnumbered in power. This would not be a battle any of us could take lightly.

"Go to sleep already, would ya?" Inuyasha was looking at me from his corner of the room as though it was my fault that he wasn't sleeping. Not that we don't all know he'd be up anyway.

"What if I don't want to?"

"Coming from Miss I'm-so-tired-Inuyasha-will-you-carry-me?"

"Well that was then."

"Yeah, thirty minutes ago."

"So the night wakes me up. Big deal."

"It is a big deal, cuz I'm not carrying you tomorrow, and you're still getting up at the usual time."

"I won't complain, just leave me alone and let me think."

"So that's why you're up." Grrr, would he freaking stop twisting my words around? Ok, so I was up thinking. He doesn't need to know that. He'd demand to know what about and yell at me about being Pessimistic.

"I'm not thinking, alright? Just…go to sleep or something."

"You know I don't sleep."

"You do sometimes."

"Yeah, times when there aren't evil fallen angels chasing after us."

"You slept when Naraku was around."

"Barely."

"Fine. I'll go somewhere private and be awake then." I stood up and quietly walked out of the crowded hut, careful not to wake anyone else, obviously to the first place that came to mind: Goshinboku.

It was completely dark out and, not thinking to bring a flashlight, I could barely see two feet in front of me inside Inuyasha Forest. Thankfully, I knew the way to the God Tree by heart and, if necessary, could have walked the path in my sleep having traveled it so often. How strange it is that no matter how long you leave a place, you still remember the paths.

Upon arriving, I sat down at the base of the tree wishing Inuyasha could once again take me to the tallest branch to look at the night. I guess ten years really can change a person, huh? All those years ago, I was so happy, optimistic, strong, and full of light. But ten years of tears made a difference.

I loved the night during those years. And all of the crying and the losses…they made me forget happiness. I lived in the darkness—rather surprising of a priestess, though I'd given up that. Sure I felt bad, but I couldn't exactly be a real priestess in modern times. I still made enough effort not to remind myself of my duty, though.

I looked out as far as I could see from the forest ground, catching the first glimpse of the sun peaking over the horizon, and I sat there watching the light grow brighter and brighter.

Sleep was starting to take over yet again. Light had the power to do that to me. But, I knew I couldn't rest until tonight. 'Not that Inuyasha would let me sleep if I tried' I thought. He'd laugh, say he told me so, and give me work to do all day to keep me from falling asleep.

The sun was now nearly up, and I wondered where San was. Or should I be calling her 'mom' now? All of this was just so confusing, and I still wasn't able to believe that I had any play in this. I almost wished I hadn't come back here. My misery is nothing compared to what I've done to this time. I show up thirteen years ago and break the one of the most precious and coveted items in the world because I was no good at archery while causing my friends three years of their lives while searching for it. And now, as soon as I show up again, someone else comes to destroy them all because I'm here.

I'd miss Inuyasha, of course, as would Sango, but this is all my fault. If I just go away, Kurnai won't attack this world yet. He'll probably just wait until my era to do it—if he's still alive, that is. Perhaps the angels would gain victory before a war started.

As I stood up and walked the way to the Bone-Eater's Well that meant so much to all of us, I could have sworn I saw just a glint of red fly across the sun—an unusual red, unlike fire. I looked again and saw nothing, however, so I continued on.

The well was in sight within five minutes and I looked down into it. There were hardly any bones the bottom any more—they had all been destroyed by the magic of the well long ago. Now, with Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku around, the village had no need of such things. Inuyasha would defend the village with his life, and everyone knew it—even if said hanyou refused to admit it. The remnants were taken to Sango's village for weapons and armour now that she had the demon slayers' village thriving again.

I stared into the well completely lost in thought as a blinding light appeared in front of me, blocking the entrance to the well.

"You are not going home, daughter." A woman appeared in front of me from the light. Though there was a glow around her, the flash had subsided allowing me to look at her fully. She was thin and somewhat frail looking, though I knew she was strong. Obviously, she was an angel. Not one from the legend, but a true angel. Clad in a yellow robe, she was glowing brightly in the morning light that amazingly shone right on us, as though a spotlight on a stage. Her wings were pure white and looked as though they had never had so much as a speck of dirt on them. They stood upright, yet they were relaxed despite the fact she was flying. Her shoulder-length red hair blew slightly in the breeze and I noticed a small, thin, golden ring around her head. It was like a halo, though it was placed on her head as though it were a tiara. Its only decoration was a small golden oval with a ruby on it.

"What makes you think I'm going home?"

"You were thinking of running away yet again, were you not?" Her tone was soft and understanding.

"Maybe. And what do you mean 'again'?"

"You have run away before. Sometimes it is understandable. However, your choice to run the last time ruined your life. You could not bear more heartbreak so you left for good, knowing that you may have been adding more pain rather than taking away from it. You caused yourself and your loved one to live in darkness for so long. Now that you have it back, would you really take it away again? Away from yourself? Away from him? You do not realize how much you hurt him…how much he needs you. You'll see that soon enough. But I will not allow you to run away again and cause more pain."

"I'll be saving them! If I stay, Kurnai will attack with his army. We will have nowhere to hide and he'll kill us all! Four angels already died by his hand. What makes you think we'll be able to survive? We'll all die!"

"You _will_ die if you leave and so will they! They need you. Would you abandon them in their time of need? Would you condemn them to death? Just because you are not here does not mean that Kuragari will not attack. You must stay. You must fight. And you will win. This place is your home and it has been for many, many years. You no longer belong in the future. Your future is here. Your destiny is here. Do not turn your back on yourself, the others, and the world."

My mind flashed back at that speech, reminding me of the time Maromaru attacked. Kikyo had said the opposite. She even forced me to go home, knowing that I would never be able to return. Thankfully, there was a way around that, but I felt awful. I had betrayed them. I betrayed Inuyasha. It was the worst feeling—even more so than never being able to return.

I looked down. I could not feel that way again. It would be worse than the past ten years. It would ruin my life more than ever. "I'll stay." I whispered.

The angel smiled. "Glad to hear it. Now, I do believe you have a family to return to, yes?"

"You mean Sango?"

"I mean Inuyasha and Sango. And the monk, demon slayer, and the two inuyoukai. They are all your family, yes?"

"I never thought of it that way. I suppose we are like one big happy family. We're like a pack of wolves—everyone takes care of everyone else, always working together and helping each other."

"Good. Now then, return to your family and think everything over. You will beat him. You have more power than you will ever realize and you will never master all of it." Her wings suddenly opened up and she flew up into the air and stopped at tree level. "And for future reference, my name is Assarishita, Assari for short. I am the angel of light."

"Wait. You called me daughter. If you are not San or Tarento, how am I your daughter?"

"No matter which angels truly created you, you are one of us. You are a daughter to all of us; therefore we should call you as such. Now, farewell for now!" She spiraled into the sky and disappeared in a flash even brighter than her first.

I looked back into the Bone-Eater's Well, then turned towards the village remembering a line I heard long ago, not even remembering who said it in the first place: "Stand up and walk. Keep going forward. At least you have strong legs to take you there."

A/N: Well, I know it was shorter, and I'm sorry. I just have too little to say in this chapter and it doesn't make sense right now to continue with the fluff I said would be coming. I have actual fluff ideas, however, so I swear on anything you want me to swear on that you will get complete and total fluff in the next chapter.

And there you have it! We meet our second angelic ally in this chapter. Assarishita is one of my favorite angels, so I just couldn't resist putting her second. While having this picture of all the angels, I crossed off the four who are dead and then Tsuki who we've already seen for the time being. It amazed me that there were only four angels left to choose from, two of which are Kagome's angelic parents and I think I should introduce them last. So write a list, cross them off, and find out yourself who comes next in line!

The quote, "Stand up and walk. Keep going forward. At least you have strong legs to take you there." Is said by Edward from _Fullmetal Alchemist_. I have been in the mood to write that line for two and a half weeks and anyone who keeps up with the new eppies and saw the one two weeks ago should know why. This quote is from the second chapter of vo.1 in the manga. I don't think that's the exact way they say it in the anime, but I know he says some variation to it. I'm not gonna spoil the new eppies, so I won't say anything, but it just really made me think about everything. You know, Hiromu Arakawa is an anime/manga genius! He's totally brilliant in these eppies, so if you don't watch the new eppies you should. They really freak you out.

And listen to me. I'm writing an Inuyasha fanfic and praising _Fullmetal Alchemist_ in my a/n.

Has anyone on here read the Japanese bestseller _Socrates in Love_? I bought the manga about a month ago and it made me cry. Then, it was so good I read it over and over again until it ended up my entertainment for finals day. The next thing I know, almost everyone I know, no matter what they're into, weather they like romance or sad stuff or not, all want to read it. And then, I bought the novel because the manga was so good. Just a random thought from my life there.

And it has occurred to me that I use a lot of Japanese. Mostly, it is common in Inuyasha fanfics so some of you will know them already, though I know several people who have told me that this is one of their first Inuyasha fanfics. So, for those people who don't know and would like to, here is a term list:

Hanyou half-demon

Miko priestess

Youkai full demon

Inu dog; for example, an Inuyoukai is a full demon dog, or Inuyasha means 'dog demon'

Tai lord; Sesshomaru and his father are refered to as Taiyoukai and Inu/Sesshy's father is often called Inutashio, pretty much meaning 'Dog Lord' since we don't know his name

Goshinboku 'God Tree', it is the Japanese name for the sacred tree

I think that's all of my major ones. Here are a couple more I don't use often, but just in case I do…

Onegai please

Arigato thank you

Ashiteru I love you

And if I missed something or you think a word means something else please tell me.

Anyways, you can expect the next chappie up very soon since I had ideas for this one ready and I can't find a way to transition this to fluff so I must leave it the way it is. Check often and I'll see you guys soon! Remember, first to review will be the 200th and gets a paragraph in the next chappie and a cookie, so review!

So yeah. See you guys next time!

Midnight-Wolf


	27. Chapter 25: Learning to Fall pt II

A/N: I won't put a big a/n note here because, well, I don't have much to talk about. If you wanna know about me since my last update, go to my LJ and read the last 2 entries. I don't feel like typing it all right now since it'll take to long.

And as promised: Thank you to Harmsstar for being the 200th reviewer::Glomps Harmsstar: here, have a cookie::Gives Harmsstar a cookie:. And thanks for your insight! I would have loved to show the Naraku battle, but I'm really not good at fight scenes. If I had shown the battle with Naraku, it would have been short and crappy and then everyone would have turned back while they had the chance. But, I shall try to make this upcoming battle with Kurnai a good one! Especially since I have a friend who has offered to Beta me and help me out cuz he has so much before too! Everyone say hi to Jordan::waves to Jordan:

And now that I have kept my promise…:yay me, I didn't forget: a big thanks to all you other reviewers!

Harmsstar

He Who Lurks in Shadows

Clouds of the Sky

Remenescent

CrazyInuHPfan

THE-REAL-MYSTIC

Pon Pon Pocky

Meli410

Thank you so much again!

DISCLAIMER: as I mentioned last chapter, this will also have the song "Learning to Fall" in it by Martina McBride, so I don't own that and I don't own Inuyasha, ok? Ok.

_**When you looked in my eyes**_

_**Past the fear and false pride**_

_**You saw goodness inside**_

_**I can't believe how I feel**_

_**I believe love is real**_

_**And I'm ready to heal**_

_**You show me how right I can be**_

_**Now I'm standing on a mountain of rubble**_

_**That once was a wall**_

_**Took years to build around me**_

_**And you came along**_

_**And you tore it down**_

_**Like it was nothing at all**_

_**Now it's a little scary**_

_**Learning to fall**_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 25

I don't know what it was, but there was a sense in the back of my mind that told me Inuyasha was not in the village either. I found myself once again wandering the path around the village, looking down upon it as I passed by. With no idea where I was going, I let my senses take over. Wait, pause. When did I get a sense of Inuyasha's whereabouts? Oh well.

I knew if he were here, He'd tell me it was stupid, but I guessed it was because we'd spent so much time together in the past few weeks. Closing my eyes, I let whatever it was guide me away from the village and everyone else. My feet walked the path as though I'd walked it a million before, as one would their own house, though I didn't remember ever being there.

I walked for thirty or so minutes before I stopped and opened my eyes again. The sense was getting stronger, as though I was closer, but the thought of this had finally started to scare me. It struck my mind for the first time: I'd never had this happen before when we were apart. Why now? And especially, why was I doing this? I could have at least gone back to the village to make sure he was gone and ask around before following my 'guide'. And now I felt stupid. I started listening to my mind as it played a make-shift argument with Inuyasha if he knew I was doing this. It was the first time since it started that I was listening to Inuyasha's reasoning.

We don't know the powers our enemy has. Except that he has a seemingly endless supply of poison in his claw, we know nothing about him. What if he could mind control or something? This could be the most obvious trap ever set and I was falling for it! I had my bow, and four arrows. That was it. I could protect myself against a stray demon, but not Kurnai…By myself anyway. I wasn't even sure we could do it as a group.

I mentally slapped myself and began to wonder if I could bang my head against a tree without permanent damage. (A/N: you can, by the way. I do it all the time. Walls too. Well, unless you call me 'permanent damage' which some people might…lol) Sitting down on a small stump nearby in a clearing, I began to wonder what I should do about this. I was far enough away from both the village and my 'destination' to where Inuyasha would not be able to hear me if he were at either, so calling wouldn't work. I didn't remember my way back to camp from here since I had my eyes closed and I no longer had a sense to guide me through the unknown territory.

If I followed the path forward, I may find Inuyasha…or I may find Kurnai. I had a fifty/fifty chance of making it out of that cave alive if I went, depending on who I found. I could stay…Inuyasha would eventually come looking for me, but then again, I was a sitting duck for any attack. There were only four chances for me to defend myself. And if it _was_ Kurnai's plan, he would realize I wasn't coming and send demons out to find me, as Naraku would have. I had no Inuyasha and no Miroku to save me.

I decided to take my chances and stay in the clearing. It was around noon and Inuyasha would be out looking for me, thinking I'd fallen asleep near the sacred tree. And when I wasn't there, he could follow my scent. It'd take him no time at all to find me with his speed and nose.

Several hours had passed since I sat down on the stump and I was getting restless. It was hard to resist trying to find my own way back to Kaede's hut, but I knew I'd just end up more lost. And the worst thing possible was to be lost in the woods during the Feudal Era at night with little protection. Not that sitting and waiting was doing me much good, but still.

The urge to follow the sense was getting stronger as well. If Inuyasha didn't show up soon, I'd die out here anyway. At least I'd have a chance to stay alive if I followed it. I debated yet again what to do, and decided yet again to stay put and hope Inuyasha came. If I ran out of arrows, I'd leave and follow the sense. If I ran out of arrows, I'd have no means of protection. Though they'd do little good against Kurnai.

With no other way to occupy myself, I once again let my thoughts wander, though still keeping my guard up around me. The thoughts began nicely, just remembering things from years ago. From our large battles against Menomaru, Kaguya, and Sounga, to just petty ones such as Urasue and the spider heads. I thought of all our victories. Of all the times we won and all the times Inuyasha saved me. It brightened my thoughts to think of how things always turned out like they should have.

But some memories led to others and soon I was thinking of the worse times too. I thought of Kohaku and of how Sango still grieved for him. I thought of the Kazzanaa that Miroku amazingly missed. I saw Shippo's face as the Thunder Brothers gloated about killing his father. I saw Inuyasha's face when he thought Kikyo was dead. And of course, I thought the magic word. Kikyo. Whenever I said her name. Whenever I saw her name. Whenever I remembered her name, it brought on all of those memories that always ended up hurting me.

Kikyo who betrayed Inuyasha. Kikyo who died. Kikyo who was brought back to life with a body made of clay and ashes, held together by mere magic and her hatred of Inuyasha. Kikyo who feeds off of souls. Kikyo who gave Naraku more than half of the jewel. Kikyo who tried to kill me, and Kikyo who wanted to kill Inuyasha and drag him to the depths of hell with her. Kikyo who, even after all of that, still held Inuyasha's heart. And Kikyo who'd always come first in his heart.

Yet again I doubted him. I thought of all the times he left me for her. He let her steal my soul. He chased her rather than make sure I was alright. He followed rumors of her, both times we thought she was dead. And his distractions nearly killed me the second time. He wanted me to stay away from him because of her. I had to beg him to let me stay. I told him I needed to be with him. I told him I would always stay with him…no, I _promised_ I would stay with him. As he promised her. He said he would protect her no matter what. And I said I didn't care. I stayed with him. I cried for him. I helped him. I may have only saved his life a couple times, not even close to paying off my debt, but I trusted him more that she ever did. But I tried to accept it, just so we could stay together.

And I cried. Why does this happen? Why can I not stop thinking of them together? Why can't I forget that night I saw them kiss? And every time after that I saw them together by accident? He promised me she meant nothing anymore. So why can I not trust him this time? I cried for him, I cried for her, and I cried for myself. I just wished that I could forget the past and trust him as I never did. I felt bad. I did trust him. I trusted him with everything. So why not with Kikyo? He hasn't even seen her in ten years from what I've heard from everyone else. He cried for me all that time. I should be able to believe that he has let go by now. But I can't. I just can't.

The tears poured down my cheeks more swiftly. I need to tell him this. We need to work past it. But he'll just say what he has since I returned. That she means nothing now.

'Where is he?' Still I cried, even after my thoughts broke away from the dreaded priestess. For only the third time since I saw returned to the Feudal Era, I was scared. It shouldn't have taken this long. My scent should have faded enough to where it was obvious to him, or at least Sesshomaru, that I was not close any longer. I felt like a little girl again, crying because I thought there was a witch living under my bed and went to go sleep with Mom for protection. And for a moment I wondered if it was natural for a mother to sometimes act like her daughter. I began wishing I was that small again. Small enough to where I though Mom and Dad were superheroes and would protect me from anything. Small enough to where, if I ran crying to them, they would be able to help and make everything better. Back to the time when a kiss could make all the pain and sadness go away.

And I closed my eyes and imagined that Inuyasha was there. He would pick me up and run off into the woods to a cave where we could rest and be alone together. And if anything were to come, he would protect me. No monster would win against him. We could have our own little world for the night. And as I imagined him carrying me off, I fell asleep in the strong arms that I wished were really there.

I regained conciousness a few hours later…and sat up in panic, my eyes flying open. For one, I was in a cave. Why was I in a cave? I fell asleep leaning against a tree stump. And two…oh shit! I fell asleep. Not good, not good, not good! I could be anywhere and with anything! What if Kurnai found me and took me to his hideout place? Or was I with some other demon? Maybe Koga found me and decided to kidnap me again. To say the least, I panicked.

And, as most people do when they panic, I screamed. I screamed for the one person who could protect me. I lost thought of what might come when it heard me call in such a way, signaling that I was alone and frightened. "INUYASHA!"

Not two seconds after I called out, something came into the room. It moved so fast, I could not tell who or what it was. And soon, I was in the person's arms…at least now I knew it had the shape of a human. It took a few seconds for me to realize that the figure was no longer moving and that I could see who it was whenever I turned around. Of course, I wasn't too frightened at the moment. I had a good feeling that the 'someone' was Inuyasha, and, not wanting any chance to be proven wrong, didn't turn around.

One hand gently stroked my hair as I was pulled closer to him. That proved it was Inuyasha. That, and the soothing words he was whispering in my ear. And for the first time, I realized that I was shaking. I didn't know why, but I was. I guess I was frightened to that point, though I couldn't remember ever shaking so much with just fear. But it was not cold in the cave, so it could be nothing else.

He sat down with me still pulled tightly against him. He set me on his lap and used the hand that was stroking my hair to pull my head against his chest and hold it there while the other wound around my legs which sere close to my chest, keeping me as close to him as possible.

After a few minutes of breathing deeply and concentrating on Inuyasha, I had stopped shaking. "Now, would you mind telling me what you were doing out in the woods alone at night?"

"You'll say I'm stupid, which I am."

"And if I promise not to?"

"I guess…After I left the hut earlier, I went to the Sacred Tree to finish my thinking and I thought some really stupid crap and almost went home. But Assari, the angel of light, stopped me and made me want to go apologize to you for our semi-argument. But on the way back to the village, I got this feeling that you weren't at the hut. It was like an invisible line pulling me, telling me to follow it so I could find you. And for a while, I was stupid and let it. I ended up in that clearing before I realized how stupid it was of me to leave without even checking to make sure you weren't in the hut. Then I started thinking that it could have been a trap, but I didn't know the way back. So, I sat down and waited for you to come."

He looked as though he might break his promise, but a couple deep breaths later he spoke calmly. "So why were you crying?"

"That's not important."

"Yes, it is. Now tell."

"Well, I'd been waiting for a while, and I was starting to worry. I kept imagining that you'd be there within five seconds of finding out that I wasn't there. And well, it was getting late and I started wondering why you were taking so long. I started thinking about before we defeated Naraku, trying to convince myself that you would show up like you always do. But then I got to that time when we thought Naraku killed Kikyo and…" I trailed off and hugged him while crying softly again. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"For doubting you. For ever doubting you when it came to Kikyo. I believe what you say…I just can't help but…" He cut me off.

"It's alright. Just calm down. I know I've said it before, but I won't ever put her before you again. That one time was enough to make me realize that _I_ was the stupid one. I put you behind a woman who had died many years before. For the second time, I had almost lost you. And again, it would have been my fault. I betrayed your trust."

"No you didn't. Naraku did. Aren't you lucky I didn't listen to him? Please stop blaming yourself for things you can't control. Naraku planned it. He knew your weaknesses, as he knew all of ours, and he played against it, causing more and more pain until the jewel was as black as it could be."

"But I…"

"Don't say it. Please. No more regrets. No more sadness. Just answer me one thing, and be honest. I won't get mad, I just need to know. Who did come first back then?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I never did know." He looked at my shocked face before continuing. "If there were no strings attatched, it would have been you. You were my savior. You didn't fear me like even Kikyo did. You brought out the real me and showed me that even a sin against nature deserved friendship and love. You gave me trust and loyalty. And you were never ashamed of what I was. She was never like that. She wanted to change me, but you never would have even thought of it. I remember, you know, when I was under Kaguya's spell. You said you wanted me to stay as a hanyou. Not become a youkai or a human. And it just proved how different you were from her and why you were first.

"But you know how complicated it got. I loved you, but she got in the way of that. I may have cared for you more, but still I would never see her hurt. And I foolishly promised to protect her. I could never break a promise to anyone, especially her. I felt sorry, like it was my fault she had died. She was rubbing off on me. But my promise made me keep going after her. She was not right by my side as you were. I needed to know she was safe every now and then so that I could rest knowing that my promise was kept for another day. And not much later, it seemed as though she needed me when you did as well. I hated doing it to you. You were upset when I went to her, I knew, even if you would never admit it. But when you said it out loud…I can still remember the feeling. It was the worst I'd ever felt. I had neglected you for her and it had upset you enough to say something about it. I failed you, and you were upset. You'd never told me you were upset before when I went to her instead of you. I knew I hurt you when I did. You'd always go home and cry. Sota told me. But when you said it, it was worse than it ever had been before.

"Hearing it from you was more than just knowing. I _did_ know. And I had failed you. You trusted me, and look what I did to you…what I always did to you. Kikyo was first because of my promise. But it was you I always wanted to be safe while beside me."

And I could tell he meant it completely. No lies. No complications. Just the truth. And I was glad.

About mid-morning we set off from the cave. I did not recognize the area, though I could tell that we were headed away from the village. For once though, we were not speeding along at hanyou speed, rather he let me walk beside him.

Still, I didn't know where we were headed. As far as I could tell, we were even farther from the village than the clearing where I had spent most of the previous day, and going further.

Once again, I found myself not paying attention to my surroundings as I spaced out, just 'awake' enough to follow Inuyasha. My vision was like a movie. One where you see a picture of a specific place, and focus on a little, random, unimportant thing than what you really need to look at. (A/N: think of a movie like The Emperor's New Grove when it zooms out and shows the monkey and the bug)

I saw the smaller, less noticeable things enter my view and allowed my mind to wander at the sight of them. Every so often, my focus would change. It's like seeing an ant and wondering, even for a second, what life would be like if you were one of them. And then being reminded of a pet dog, wishing you knew what he was saying when he barked at you. Assuming he was hungry, you'd give him food. But what was he really saying?

And dogs would bring up thinking of Inuyasha, and not for the first time, I would wonder what life would have been like if Buyo hadn't run into the well house that day. I would have gone to college, I guess, but I wonder. Would I have inherited the shrine and lived there? I still would have married Hojo, I guess, and had Sango, but her name wouldn't be Sango. Would Hojo have gone crazy if I wasn't crying all the time?

And being lost in thought, I ended up tripping over a root, snapping me out of my little dream world. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Inuyasha caught me.

"Maybe I _should_ carry you. What are you thinking about, anyway?"

"Nothing. Just spacing out, random thoughts, and whatnot."

"Like what?"

"Stupid things. Just 'what ifs' that I'll never know the answer to." He gave me a strange look, but apparently decided to keep his mouth shut to prevent arguments.

We continued on the unknown path and still I wasn't completely paying attention, though I wasn't letting my mind wander quite as much. I wished I knew where we were going though. I thought I would like to walk rather than ride for once, but it was rather boring. I just hoped wherever we were going was close.

!Two Hours Later!

My feet were literally dragging behind me. I hadn't walked this long since our adventures ten years earlier, and I was beginning to wonder weather or not we had a destination and why he wasn't carrying me by now. If we were going anywhere important, he would've wanted to be there soon, therefore he would have picked me up and dashed off like he always does. But he was taking it a little too slow.

"Would you mind telling me where we're going and how much longer I have to walk?"

"We're just going back to the village. And you can stop walking any time you want to. I just figured you'd enjoy a walk."

"In case you haven't noticed, we've been walking in the opposite direction of the village for a little over three hours. Not that we weren't far enough away from it to begin with."

"How would you know where the village is? You didn't know where we were when I found you, and you didn't know where we were after you woke up in the cave either."

"You must think I'm a real idiot. Or did you forget the jewel is back at the village with Sesshomaru and Rin? And maybe you also forgot that I can sense the jewel."

"Ok, so we're not going to Kaede's village. When did I say we were going back to them? There are other villages we've been to before, you know."

"And which village, may I ask, are we going to visit?"

"It's a secret. But Miroku returned yesterday to tell me about a small lead they found. He left right after to return to Sango who was still back at the village. The reason I didn't realize you were gone was because I _was_ gone from the village. I followed Miroku to help and was informed by Rin that you hadn't returned, which was when I went looking for you. And we're returning to the village Sango and Miroku were at to help them. The End. Any _more_ questions?" He said the last part sarcastically.

"One, yes. Have I ever been to this village?"

"Once, a long time ago. You'll know it when you see it, now, are you tired of walking?"

"Inuyasha, I've been tired of walking." It took him two seconds to swoop me up and dash off in the direction of the mystery village.

A/N: My head is swimming with ideas right now, so hopefully the next chappie will be up soon, and it'll probably be long, with everything I plan to put in it before I completely lose my inspiration.

**Stuff to define/explain**:

Kazzana- Miroku's wind tunnel. Literally translated, means 'hell hole'

Ji-san- I haven't used this yet, I don't think, but I thought of it randomly and you'll run across it quite often in Inuyasha fanfiction. It meand 'grandfather'. In many storites, Kagome will call her grandfather

'ji-san' rather than 'gramps'.

Okaa-san- from what I have heard, this means 'mother', though since I'm not entirely sure, I won't be using it.

Nee-chan- 'brother', I do believe. Sota often calls Inuyasha his 'inu-nee-chan' or 'dog-brother'

Koinu- this is just a cute word that I like. It means 'puppy' and I have heard people in certain fics (esp. Kagome) call Inuyasha this just to make him mad, or as a pet name. I may or may not use this, but now you know in case I do use it.

**SPOILER ALERT!**

Inuyasha- "Aren't you lucky I didn't listen to him?"- around eppie 130 or so, Naraku supposedly kills Kikyo (I have heard people say that she is still alive, though I have not seen it confirmed, so that's why I consider he alive in this chappie). Inuyasha freaks, to say the least, and goes off in search of her body all night long and returns to find Kagome awake and waiting for him. He gets mad at himself and says he doesn't want to make Kagome worry anymore. The next day, they receiver news from a traveler that he saw a priestess feeding off dead souls near a river bank a ways off. Inuyasha takes off at once, and doesn't see the messenger is being controlled by Kagura's 'dance of the dead'. They are abducted by soldiers soon after who are under orders to bring any suspicious travelers to their castle. There, they find a dead woman (their leader, supposedly) giving the soldiers orders by Kagura's command. The woman is holding a strange baby with pink hair, another incarnation of Naraku, though I don't know his name yet. They are killing all of the 'suspicious' travelers who are not the ones Kagura is looking for. Kagome is taken hostage in the castle while Sango and Miroku send Shippo off to find Inuyasha as they fight off the soldiers, unable to reach Kagome. The next eppie, Kagome is manipulated by the baby, who's power is to find and feed off of the fear and doubts of his victims. It takes him a while to find Kagome's, but her's is that Inuyasha always puts Kikyo before her. She thinks he won't show up to rescue her because he's off trying to find a dead Kikyo after being told by a zombie that she was alive. Inuyasha senses that Kagome is in trouble before Shippo shows up and runs off to find her. He shows up just as Kagome (finally, I might add) admits her love for him out loud! (go kagome!) (She screamed it to the world and he burst through the roof 5 seconds after. There's no freakin way he didn't hear it. I bet Sango and Miroku heard it too.) so yeah, happy ending. He saves her from the creepy mind-stealing baby and they all live happily ever after like always. Ok? Ok.  
**END SPOILER**

And that's about it for this chappie! As I said earlier, I am swimming with info and inspiration, so I'll start writing the next chappie tomorrow, considering I'm not playing Zelda and don't have too much homework, which I shouldn't. I just happened to watch a great movie over the weekend in Chattanooga that completely gave me an idea on how to somewhat move the plot around. I'll tell you what movie it is in my next A/N cuz I don't wanna ruin the surprise. And for the record, it's not on DVD, it's based after a TV show, it played on Discovery Kids channel, and they played it about 3 times on Saturday night and they've been having a marathon of the series for at least a month on Saturdays. So guess if you want to. And those of you who figure it out, don't freak and think this is suddenly going to turn really weird cuz it's not. I'm just gonna play off of the last chappie with a little added twist.

And the village that they'll be arriving at is curtisy of my friend Audri who watched this eppie on Saturday morning and asked me if there was ever another eppie where this person (demon, half-demon, or human. telling you what might give it away) was brought back, and I haven't seen one. But, I love this character, and I plan to be able to bring this one and another person somewhat related to the following chapter's character into this story at least once, so thanks to Audri for giving me the inspiration for this village's plotline. But, anyone who liked this character might be a little upset with me…I'm still deciding on weather or not to make it a sad sorta thing or not, but yeah. I hope you guys don't kill me if I sorta make the poor character's life a little more miserable than it already is. Sorry in advance!

And that's about it! Thanks to all my reviewers, I love you guys so much! I'll write soon! oh, and I've become obsessed with a new symbol. 3 aka, a heart, if you didn't already see that. It took me a couple seconds to figure that out, and yes I'm slow. See ya'll soon!


	28. Chapter 26: Just Might Make Me Believe

A/N: wOOt wOOt! I actually feel good! Tired, but good! I don't really have much to say, so I'll just skip my usual ranting. Except, oh yeah, we had a snow day today! Yay. That's why this chappie is up- cuz I've had all day to write it. Yeah, it was great. It's the most snow I ever remember seeing in my life, which is sad cuz it was only 2 inches. Shows ya how little snow we got in Chattanooga, doesn't it? We did have that huge blizzard on my 3rd b-day back in '93, but I'm too young to remember anything except my aunt was down and she gave my sister and me a Super Nintendo. And had the power…and the heat…and the water not been out, I would have watched her play it. And that's all I remember. Mom says it was several feet, but I don't remember it.

Well, I'm ready to write! Are you ready to read? Sure ya are! Ok, have fun!

I must thank my wonderful and faithful reviewers for also cheering me up!

He Who Lurks in Shadow

Remenescent

CrazyInuHPfan

Pon Pon Pocky (oh, I know what you mean! The only reason I was semi-sad was because Inu was sad, even though he should have been happy that the dead biotch was out of his life once and for all!)

PInK cuTie KaGomE-micael m

Clouds of the Sky (ok, see that's where everyone loses me with the whole 'Kikyo's not dead' thing. You mean just cuz she's the reincarnation? These authors keep saying stuff like there was a lava pool and Kagome saved her or something. So I am thoroughly confused.)

pikki12

THE-REAL-MYSTIC

Full-metal-sousuke

Kirah Ocean (sorry. I didn't know I was being that fluffy, but I'm not that sure how to make it any better. Not sure if you'd like this chappie or not then. Sry.)

Thanks to all who reviewed! I love you all::hugs reviewers: ya'll are so great for reviewing so quickly! Let's make it an even 300 soon, shall we? (I know it's a ways off, but with the way ya'll are reviewing…) keep up with the nice things and making me happy! Oh, and I am currently flameless! Yay! Not even that much constructive criticism. Which is why ya'll rock! Luv ya! _ 3 3 3_

DISCLAIMER: I still do not own Inuyasha! I never will! So there! Even though one day I'll own my own manga and then you can write fanfics about it and I'll read and say 'gee, that makes sense' and have fun just like I do now. (who knows, you may be reading it right now! Change the characters' names and there ya have it!) but anyway, I don't own the song either. It's "Just Might (Make Me Believe)" by Sugarland and a really great song, so read it and love it! And my plot that I mentioned before is from _Strange Days at Blake Holsey High_, and before you freak and say they have nothing to do with each other, just read and find out, I'll explain at the end.

_**I got miles of trouble spreadin' far and wide**_

_**Bill on the table gettin' higher and higher**_

_**They just keep on comin', there ain't no end in sight**_

_**I'm just holding on tight...**_

_**I've got someone who loves me more then words can say**_

_**And I'm thankful for that each and every day**_

_**And if I count all my blessings, I get a smile on my face**_

_**Still it's hard to find faith..**_

_**But if can you look in my eyes**_

_**And tell me we'll be alright**_

_**If you promise never to leave **_

_**You just might make me believe**_

_**I used to believe in us**_

_**When times got tough **_

_**Lately I'm afraid that even love is not enough**_

_**But if can you look in my eyes**_

_**And tell me we'll be alright**_

_**If you promise never to leave **_

_**You just might make me believe**_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 26

We approached the 'mystery' village not long after our short conversation. He was carrying me and was obviously anxious to be there, considering the fact that he ran the entire way there. And a little ways before we reached the village, I saw why.

Smoke was rising over the trees, signaling a fire…or at least the remains of one. We had reached the path and I once again caught sight of the villagers. I recognized them immediately, and I wondered for a moment if I might have a case of déjà vu. Just like the first time I saw this particular village, the townsfolk were carrying the dead from the nearby woods into the small village. Only this time, there was more than one villager injured, and very few laboring over them. And I began to wonder if our friends were among the survivors.

"Are they…"

"Dead? Not many. But badly wounded and will be unable to fight for many days. We'll have to look out for them. Sango and Miroku are fine, as is our other friend and that old hag."

"She's still around?"

"Yeah, surprisingly. Never thought I'd see her again. But she's so old, she's practically on her death bed. I'm surprised she survived the attack."

We entered the village, only to see the true destruction. It was a wonder that so many were still alive. All of the small huts were gone, as was most of the herb fields. I wondered how many would die without the plentiful stock of plants and medicines the young half demon and his mother had worked so hard on. Amazingly, however, the small house was still standing, and seemed to be the place of gathering, even among those without injury. So we continued towards the hut, though I was sure to stay a little ways behind my hanyou. I couldn't help but think this to be my fault…and I knew he was thinking the exact same thing. (A/N: she thinks it's her fault, he thinks it's his fault.)

As we entered the small hut, the room became unnaturally silent. More than half of the village—mostly those wounded—were all crammed inside that one tiny space. I had heard the villagers had begun to help Jinenji after the flesh eating demon had been destroyed. I guess they never thought of enlarging the small hut, oh, I don't know, maybe because the (surprisingly) still growing Jinenji barely fit inside it before! But, I suppose they never suspected their small, unwealthy village would ever be attacked like this.

But the space issue was easily solved—everyone except Jinenji, Sango, Miroku, and the old lady left the hut, taking as many of the injured as possible. No one now in the hut was badly injured, and I silently thanked Kami.

I had not seen Jinenji in so long, and I didn't think he really recognized me. I knew I looked different, and I probably didn't have an aura as pure as the one I once did, after all that I've done and been through. But after a few seconds, he seemed to realize who I was.

The hanyou was definitely stronger and larger, and I was pleased to see that most of the scars from oh so long ago had vanished, or at least faded, though new ones had formed in light of the recent battle.

With all of the villagers leaving, I had expected them to be angry at us—and perhaps they were. But our friends in this hut were quite calm, and I was surprised when Inuyasha was the one to break the silence. "Who was it?"

And Sango was the one to answer. "He was a large spider demon, like Naraku, only he didn't have the burn mark of Onigumo, and he seemed at least twice as powerful, if not more. He left no name or any means to track him, and he escaped with hardly any damage. His boy did not regenerate, but it is possible the wounds were too petty for such things."

"It was Kurnai then." I responded. "You were not there when it happened, but we were recently visited by Tsuki, the angel of the moon. She explained a lot of mysteries about the legend, and mentioned that Kurnai had also tried to create another angel, but for his own gain—thus the bandit Onigumo was born. We have not seen his true form, but the resemblance between this demon and Naraku is too great to be coincidence."

"Then we should go after him! Right now. He can't have gone far." Oh great, he chooses _now_ to be the arrogant and dimwitted hanyou I knew ten years ago! Just great!

"So you will charge blindly into the enemy's trap yet again, will you?" Miroku added. "Perhaps you have forgotten all the trouble that you have caused us in the past. Would you care for a recount?"

"I remember just fine, bozou. Do you have a better plan?"

"Any plan is better than taking your enemy's bait, and you would do well to remember that."

"When have I ever had a strategy?"

"Well, never. So aren't you glad you have me?"

**SMACK**! And here I thought Sango had gotten over her violence…

"What he's trying to say, Inuyasha, is that there are other ways of battle besides brute strength. You need to think before you act. Remember, patience is a virtue."

"We beat Naraku that way. We just showed up in the same stupid field at the exact same time. What would you have suggested we do? 'Um, Naraku, do you think we could have a couple days to come up with a strategy?' Yeah right."

This time, I had to cut in. "And in such a case, we were lucky to have everyone on our side! Kurnai may have despised his son, but that doesn't mean he hasn't learned our weaknesses. He's already pulled it on Sesshomaru, and probably me as well, knowing what we'd do and ready to strike. He knows you'd charge into battle, and he's waiting on you. And now I ask you, who do we have on our side now, at this very moment? No one has reason to fight Kurnai besides the angels and us. We need more allies before we attack. Think of how many demons he probably has following him already! We can't win right now!"

"And I still say we can do this! We can attack him now before he gains the power Naraku had!"

"Are you deaf? Sango just said he's more powerful than Naraku! On his own! Without the jewel and followers!"

and Miroku butted in again. "Oh? Do you remember when you wanted to _let_ Naraku gather the jewel and _then_ track him down? Kill two birds with one stone? And look at what happened when he did get the jewel! He could create incarnations and had more power than was otherwise unimaginable. Do you remember the form he regenerated? Both of those times came because you were reckless and charged into battle at a moment's notice." I could tell Miroku was getting fed up with arguing over something so stupid.

And then Sango joined in. "Inuyasha, calm down. Why do you even have a grudge against Kurnai?"

"No reason. Am I not allowed to want the evil demon dead?"

"Well sure you are, but that's not exactly your style. You've always complained about doing good when you don't have to."

"So? But for the record, I'm going and none of you can stop me. Come if you like…except _you_." He was staring straight at me.

"And why am I not allowed to fight?"

"Because you always end up getting hurt from my stupid mistakes. He's not going to _ever_ get close enough to you to poison you like he did Rin, or anything of the sort. I won't be blamed for you getting hurt again, so you won't be fighting."

"Oh yes I will! Perhaps you weren't paying attention to Tsuki and Assari, but I _have_ to fight."

"Well you're not gonna, so don't try." And with that, he ran out the door after Kurnai.

I sighed. "I guess I'd better go after him. And here I thought he'd changed."

"INUYASHA!" I called. He was probably long gone by now. I'd been walking around for quite some time, after all, and he refused to answer my calls. I had no choice but to return to the village.

I sat down in the hut and shook my head. It looked like we were going to have to wait until he returned—that is, if he returned.

We had been waiting for a couple days when Inuyasha finally appeared back into what used to be a village. He was badly injured and barely able to move. I had only seen him any worse once: the first time we met Kanna. She used her mirror to reflect his Wind Scar back at him. He almost dies then, and he wasn't much better off now.

I ran out to help him just as he collapsed near the edge of the forest, and I knew the others were right behind me. Jinenji carried him into the hut as I gathered several of the remaining herbs for treatment. It would not be so easy, however, for this time we were without medicine and bandages from my era.

Inuyasha was pretty much dead and we could do nothing to help him. And I gasped when I realized what night it was. Curse the new moon, for it always comes at the worst times! (A/N: tell me about it.) I couldn't believe our foul luck.

He would not be able to survive the night without modern day treatments, but I had little time. "Sango! I need to borrow Kilala. I'm going home to get medication for him or else he'll die tonight without his powers."

Kilala came to me and transformed without hearing an answer from Sango. We knew we could go. The two-tail flew as fast as possible, and it was about noon when we arrived. I told Kilala to wait for me—I would be as quick as possible, for I needed to be back at the hut before nightfall.

I jumped through the well and felt that old, familiar feeling of the light engulfing me and when I looked up, I no longer saw the distant trees of my true home. (A/N: imagine she could see the surrounding trees in the FE since they're closer than the ones in her time.)

But as I climbed up, I noticed something strange—I could not see the top of Goshinboku as I normally would have. In fact, there was nothing familiar about the surrounding area. I gasped as I looked out over the top and climbed over the edge—there was nothing there. What was once the future of Tokyo was now a barren wasteland. There were no people or buildings, or demons in sight, or any form of life at all. I was reminded briefly of the terror Sounga would have reeked upon the future had it been allowed to succeed.

I couldn't believe it! The shrine, my home, my life—it was all gone! Every last bit. And I couldn't help but think that I had failed Inuyasha—without modern medicine, he would surely die. He needed me and I could do nothing.

I turned around again towards the well with every intention of returning to the Sengoku Jidai—only to find the sacred portal gone as well! I was all alone in a future that doesn't exist!

With no idea of what to do, I began to walk around the wasteland that used to be my home, hoping for any sign of life or technology.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light in the distance, brighter than the sun (had it been visible at the time), and so I ran towards it in hopes of finding someone who could help me.

There was a lovely creature engulfed in the light, and as it faded, I could make it out to be a large cat. I assumed it was a cheetah from the small specks of black barely visible in the brilliant light.

The creature ran towards me. One may have compared it to one of those overly dramatic TV shows where two people reunited after several long years. You know, the ones where they're running in slow motion? (A/N" please not that they weren't running in slow-mo, it's just being compares to that.) but I felt a sort of familiarity between us, as though I'd known her my entire life. I wondered if she could possibly be San—my real mother.

"My dear, do you see what you've done?" she was speaking to me as though I had done something wrong. As though all of this was my fault.

"Did I do this?"

"Did Assari not warn of this? Of returning home?"

"She lectured me about running away from my destiny, but…"

"And what did you do? You ran away. And now look what's happened!"

"I didn't run! I came for Inuyasha. He was injured and tonight is his human night. He'll die without treatment!"

"I see. But time itself does not."

"…"

"You obviously do not understand. Time has no knowledge of this world, only of what happens to it. If you return to this time before Kuragari is destroyed, no matter the reason. You will be greeted as you now have been—in a world where Kurnai wins."

"So everyone's dead, but they'll just pop back into existence again when we defeat Kurnai?"

"Not exactly. You have now created an alternate universe from the world you know. Everything still exists, you just can't reach it."

"Still confused."

"Think of the well as a vortex between two worlds—which it truly is. Before now, you could travel between the two worlds freely because nothing you did in that past affected the future in any way. But…"

"Wait a second. We defeated Naraku. That must have altered the future!"

"true, but that had already been decided. There are two altering powers in the world—destiny and fate. Some would say it impossible for them to exist on the same plane. They are opposites and would therefore cancel each other out. But actually, they help each other. It was by destiny that you defeated Naraku. However, it was by fate that you returned home afterwards for those ten long years, as is what you chose to do with your life after returning. And again, it was by destiny that returned you to the true life that fate had led you from.

"And now, both are at work. It has not been said weather you defeat Kurnai or not, and that is because fate may once again alter you life. Therefore, there are two versions of the future—the one that you know, should you succeed, and the one you are currently in, should you return without fulfilling your true destiny. The flow of time does not know that you returned for healing products. It believes you ran away, driven by fate once again. Therefore, you are now in the world in which Kuragari succeeds in overthrowing Inuyasha, the humans, and us angels. Do you understand?"

"I think so…but what would happen should I decide to run away and stay in this world? Will the alternate one disappear?"

"You cannot destroy either completely…you can only change which one you end up in. In your era, you will never return to the present. Your family will assume that you have either died in your battle, or that the well has ceased to function. In that time flow, another heroine will arise and defeat Kurnai because it is meant to be, as would happen if you were to die.

"But when you left the Sengoku Jidai, you created an alternate time flow—one where the is no other heroine."

"Why?"

"Because as far as everyone there knows, you could return yet chose not to, whereas you truly could not if you wanted to. And now, both timelines will continue to run, no matter what you chose to do."

"So why does it matter to you that I stay, if the only fate I'm deciding is my own?"

"It is the fate of everyone you know in the Feudal Era as well. While a new heroine will come, she will not be able to fight for many years, until she is at least fifteen. She will grow up in a world conquered by Kurnai. Inuyasha and the others will continue to fight and will surely die trying without your help, as will we angels. The new girl shall win, but we will not. She will have to do it alone. You would be condemning us all."

"And what do I do now? It was a mistake that put me here and I don't want to be the cause of all this destruction…but how do I return? The well has closed. I have no way to return to my home."

"The problem is, you can't. you are now in a world where you are the sole survivor…and so here you must remain."

"So I'm doomed to dehydrate or something and rot in this wasteland forever?"

She looked at me as though she didn't know what to do, but her face looked more grave than sorry. "There is one way in which you may be able to return. My powers are, for the most part, limitless. I have never tried before, but I may be able to take your shape for a few short seconds. It would confuse time and open a vortex for the one that should not be here, though you should not that it will not be the well. You will take the vortex to Inuyasha and fight alongside him—no matter what he says."

"But then you'll be stuck here! There must be some other way, I mean, you're my true mother! I could never allow you to die out here all alone because I made some stupid mistake!"

"True, but remember, you'll see me again. This is an alternate world that I am in—I have traveled from the past as well. I am from the world you just created by leaving before the doom I would face from Kurnai. You will return to the world where I still exist. The version of me you are now seeing would have died anyway. And this is better than having to watch the world turn to this before my eyes, as I would be virtually powerless to stop it.

"But you should note that this is a _huge_ risk. I can't hold your form for long, so you'd have to be completely out of the well before I change back or you truly will be stuck here forever. Even beyond the well, I cannot be sure that you won't be dragged back."

"What if the others were to come through the well? Sango, Inuyasha, Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi? Would they end up in this world or the original world?"

"They will return to your true era, but you will always be brought here until you defeat Kuragari, even if you travel with them."

"And what do I do about Inuyasha? I have no medicine from my time and it's too late to send one of my friends to my era for it. He'll die and then everything will be hopeless, even more so than it would be without me."

"One of the angels has been sent to help him. While we cannot completely heal him, we can ensure that he survives the night, although I know not which angel it will be. He will be fine, as long as you are there with him." She winked. "And I'm guessing it would help if you were alone. Have the angel take you somewhere private as well." For the first time I truly realized that she was my mother—she even acts like it!

And she added more to it. "But you should probably know that all of this could have been avoided if you had just gone to ask for Sesshomaru's assistance. I'm sure he would have been glad to lend his sword to help his brother."

As she said this, she activated the power within her. Her form became blurry for a moment and I was vaguely aware of the changes being made from cheetah to human. When she was finished, I felt as though I was looking into a mirror.

I looked around the area, but I didn't see anything even slightly resembling a vortex of any sort. "Where…?"

"Turn around ad start walking. Wherever the ground seems to shift slightly, step on it and you will be transported back. You will end up at the bottom of the bone-eater's well, just as you left."

I did as she instructed, and had nit taken two steps when the ground in front of me began to wave, as though it was a liquid instead of solid ground. I started at it in amazement.

"Go! Hurry, before I change back!"

I didn't need to be told twice. I stepped onto the 'ground' and felt myself being sucked in like the Hollywood effects of quicksand.

I soon found myself engulfed in the familiar blue light…I was going home. And I realized one thing—we would win this war. We had to for Mom and Ji-San and Sota and the future of the earth as we know it. But it was going to be a long ride.

A/N: There, it's finally done! And it sure took me long enough too! So be happy.

Ok, and as I was writing this, I realized that there was another fic I read that had this same concept with the vortex/portal and whatnot. It is on a site that I went to when I started reading HP fanfics called The Astronomy Tower. Take astronomytower and add a 'dot' org to it and there ya have it. The fic is titles _Frames and Glasses_ and is a one shot, though it's like, 50-some pages long. It's pretty good, as long as you like either H/Hr or Hr/R pairings. (it has both of them in it, one for each universe.)

But I took the idea from _Strange Days at Blake Holsey High Conclusions_. So there, I gave it credit twice! No suing!

_**Things To Explain**_

Kurnai being a spider- so sorry for giving him the same as Naraku, but it does make sense. I realize the spider demon is greatly overused in the series, but I didn't know what else to make him and since he's technically Naraku's dad…yeah. Genetics and all.

Also, I'm sorry for not adding a fight scene between Inuyasha and Kurnai. Please don't kill me! I was in a hurry to post this chappie and be done with it.

**_Jap words_** (sorry if I've already said a couple of them, but I forget so deal with it)

Kami- pretty much, 'God'

Bozou- rude way of saying priest or mink

Sengoku Jidai- the Feudal Era. I believe it is the name of the period of history in which she is in, but I don't know much Japanese history, so I can't be sure.

Oh, and who all saw the new eppie? I did, I did! I knew what'd happen cuz I read WAY too much fanfics along with the spoilers for not-yet-dubbed eppies, and now they dubbed it and I saw it. And it has been dubbed by me as the 2nd most important eppie ever made. (1st being eppie 107 with Inu crying). Yay, I was happy.

And that's it! Dunno when the next chappie'll be up, so look at my LJ for news. It won't be until I'm inspired again though.

See ya'll!

Midnight-Wolf-314


	29. Chapter 27: I Will

A/N: Hey everyone! Who here's ready for another FMN chappie, huh? Well, if you're reading this, then I guess you are, so on with the fun stuff! Ok, well let me just say that I am really happy:chants: "I'm 15, I'm 15" haha, ok, yeah fun! And I got my permit! Yay! now I can drive! That is, if I knew how to drive…oh well, I'll get used to it. Meanwhile, anyone who's driving around Pigeon Forge, you might wanna steer clear of the streets. Lol, j/k.

Sorry I haven't been updating. I've had this chapter done for over a month and I just haven't felt like typing it. But then again…remember how distracted I got when the 4th Harry Potter movie came out? Well, this has been 10 times worse. See, as you all must know by now, my other favorite anime is Fullmetal Alchemist, right? Well, for those of you who weren't watching the new eppies, it ended a couple weeks ago. Well, ask anyone who knows me. I went into FMA denial and started freaking out. The series didn't exactly end how I would have pictured it and I'm not spoiling it for you, but I got REALLY mad. I have gone insane with FMA. I spent more than half of my b-day money on FMA stuff. What'd I buy? Let's see…vo.5, vo.7, a chibi-mustang key chain, a fleece blanket with Edward on it, and the 3 original soundtracks which I am listening to right now. I am going crazy. Oh, and I would have bought more if it had ended before I bought the rest of the stuff. I got HP4 (no surprise there, right?) , LoZ: The Wind Waker, and the Inuyasha volume entitled "A Half-Demon's Tears".

REVIEW REPLIES:

Remenescent

THE-REAL-MYSTIC

Luvergirl1632 (thanks so much for all the reviews!)

Clouds of the Sky

CrazyInuHPfan

PinK cuTie KaGomE-micael m

full-metal-sousuke

Inuyasha05

peugeot306

magicgirl45852

Nichole

Inuyasha05

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! You guys know I luv ya, right? Good. :hugs reviewers: In that case, on to the disclaimer!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha and if the last zillion disclaimers didn't clue ya in, I DON'T AND I NEVER WILL. There. And I also don't own the song "I Will" which, well, I don't know who sings it and I'm too lazy to look it up but it's the 4th ending for the FMA series, so yeah. I don't own it either. Oh, and the translation will be at the bottom of the chappie in the A/N.

_**Afuredasu namida nara ima wa tomenakute ii**_

_**Kanashimi no saigo ni wa hikari ga sashikomu hazu**_

_**stay... stay... stay... stay...**_

_**Sou Onaji kimochi shinjiteta**_

_**Keshita MEMORI mitsumeteta**_

_**Ima anata ni aenai kedo**_

_**Setsunai omoi kakushite**_

_**Tsuyoku nareru motto**_

_**Tashikamete yuku no**_

_**Afuredasu namida nara ima wa tomenakute ii**_

_**Kanashimi no saigo ni wa hikari ga sashikomu hazu**_

_**Isogisugite Kowashite kita mono**_

_**Torimodosu no Watashi rashiku aruku**_

_**tame ni**_

_**Nee Mata anata ni Ano toki wa**_

_**Saki ni sayonara iwasete**_

_**Shinjiteru kitto atarashii asu o**_

_**Mayowazu ni aserazu ni sugite yuku jikan wa**_

_**Yasashisa ni kawatteku itami mo wasurenai**_

_**Muchakisugite kizutsuita kokoro**_

_**Dakishimeru no Umarekawaru jibun no tame ni**_

_**I Will**_

_**Afuredasu namida nara ima wa tomenakute ii**_

_**Kanashimi no saigo ni wa hikari ga sashikomu hazu**_

_**Mayowazu ni aserazu ni sugite yuku jikan wa**_

_**Yasashisa ni kawatteku itami mo wasurenai**_

_**Isogisugite Kowashite kita mono**_

_**Torimodosu no Watashi rashiku aruku tame ni**_

_**I Will**_

Forget Me Not

Chapter 27

I walked through the door to find Inuyasha just as I had left him—proped up against the wall of the small hut. It looked as though no one had moved him at all. I felt so helpless. There was nothing I could do…but wait.

!Onlooker's POV!

a shadow appeared in the distance. It slowly crept forward until it covered the creature in his view. To an onlooker, it appeared to be a large, muscular human, covered from the waist down in the overgrown path. But no matter how strong the young man was, he could never hope to beat the shadow—for he was the darkness. And like the darkness, he could be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. After all, what chance did a puny human, such as the man, have against a demon as vast as darkness itself?

Actually, it was quite interesting that the shadow did not recognize the human as his brother—or former brother. Nor did the intended victim sense the presence of evil in the air. Either way, both would realize the danger they were in much too late.

The man was walking slowly towards a village, following a report from one of his sisters about a hero and ally in danger after a reckless battle. He was in no hurry, however, for the night—his deadline—was far from the present time.

He continued to look down the path as he walked forward through the brush. The path was long, but the man had all the patience in the world. For he could stand as still as the earth when he needed to, and often for long periods of time. But, there was suddenly a bright flash of light and his head turned. There was one problem with this fact. He'd always had a rather short attention span…and bright lights amused him—not that anyone knew this…except one of his sisters, but no one else needed to know.

The man stared at the light as it got closer…and closer…and his eyes got wider…and wider…and…"SURPRISE!"

The light—also the origin of the voice—giggled as he was temporarily stunned. "Damn it, Assari, I told you not to do that!" it was his sister.

While they had no idea how old each was—most likely the same—Assari had always acted like the youngest. She just loved to play pranks on any willing person. Ironically, she could also be the wisest, though she was usually the more-than-slightly insane member of the family. "Oh, come on, Tsuchi, can't you take a joke? Lighten up! Laugh a little! Or is your personality as dry and boring as the earth you control?"

"For your information, that's dangerous, especially in these times of war. And also, the earth is not 'dull and boring'. It is among the more powerful elements on this planet and…"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before. Now come on out of there. You look like a human."

Tsuchi sighed and stepped out of the brush, revealing his true form. He was a centaur, strong and proud—except for the light thing, of course. His legs were a deep brown, blending in well with his surroundings and the well-toned muscles on his arms and chest were tanned to perfection. He had a bow and a quiver across his back and a horn grasped in his hand, a danger sign to all. his face was angry, and perhaps even a little stoic and his long red hair curved around his head, shaping his face.

It was then that the darkness knew of his true danger. He had been foolishly non-observant and had advanced too far to retreat from the two angels unnoticed. He was stuck, but he knew they would not notice him. He was darkness—he could be anywhere. It was not the centaur that worried him though, but the other. For light had always vanquished darkness.

He watched as the two continued to argue, and in a bright flash of light, the girl vanished, pouting and looking quite pathetic. This was good. And now he knew Tsuchi's weakness, making him an easy target.

And as the powerful centaur continued on his way, the darkness followed. It tagged along behind him, trying to stay unnoticed.

Tsuchi looked out to the former village, wondering if he had perhaps lost his way. It was certainly not thriving, as San had told him it would be. In fact, it was an ashen wasteland with only one small hut in the distance along with a tiny garden that was being tended to by a man, a woman, and a large, strange-looking demon.

He was about to step towards the hut, assuming that the injured hanyou was being kept there, when he heard a small noise behind him, like a rustle in the trees on a windless day. He turned ever so slightly and for the first time, he noticed the darkness closing in…

I looked up. The flap door opened up and Miroku stepped in, quickly grabbing his staff and Hiraikotsu, which he had become quite good at carrying. "Kurnai is outside. Stay here" was all he said before rushing out the door to help—and I followed him with my arrows. What did he think I was going to do? My hatred almost destroyed Naraku before…maybe it would work with this fallen angel—Naraku's kin. And, I might add, I wasn't as 'pure' as I was back then. I remembered thinking how much I wanted Kikyo to die and then slapping myself for thinking so selfishly. Now things were different.

I rushed out just in time to see a giant centaur (at least three times taller than me) in battle with the evil angel. The centaur blew his horn and animals and demons alike ran from the area. Then he pulled his bow and let the arrow fly.

Unlike a normal arrow, it had a huge aura of power surrounding it, even greater than one of Kikyo's, or mine, and it created a large crater in the ground as it flew and then landed in the ground. 'Not a very good shot for an angel,' I thought, 'he missed his target.' (I figured he was another angel, since you don't exactly see centaurs every day, even in the Sengoku Jidai). But I soon realized that he must have missed on purpose as I witnessed the ground shoot up in Kurnai's face as a tornado of stone. 'He must be the angel of earth'.

Kurnai—who was nothing more than a cloud of darkness, let out a painful howl and retreated, though I wondered how a cloud could be hurt by stone.

The centaur stared after the darkness, as if to be sure that it wasn't coming back, before he turned and trotted over to us.

"Do you now understand what we are up against? Well, no matter at the moment. We have more important things to take care of. Now tell me, where is the injured one? San told me it was of the utmost importance that he be healed by nightfall and I do believe the sun will sleep shortly."

We all pointed to the small hut, but it appeared as though he didn't need directions, for he was there before any of us lifted a finger.

He stepped into the hut momentarily and came out a moment later. He held the horn to his mouth and blew twice. Both were sounds of sorrow and need of help. They were low notes and they shook the very ground we stood upon. After they died down, he blew another note, this time higher and it rang through my ears to the very depth of my being.

"There. Your friend is injured badly. I cannot heal him as he can heal himself. Give him until morning. Tsuki shall make sure he is safe." He turned to leave, "Beware of all things, priestess, for Kuragari has many forms and even more spies. Even though he is fallen, he can still control his element—better than any of us would like to admit. And as the darkness is everywhere, so is he. Be careful, girl. You will need all the strength you can get.

"As for me, I must leave. I am needed with the others before darkness falls. Stay with your hanyou. He will need you." And with that speech he left, traveling in the same direction he'd come from only moments before. And as soon as he left, I ran for the hut.

I don't know what I was thinking. The angel himself had told me that he was not better, but I felt as though he had to be healed—even just a little—so he could make it through the night.

Hoping to see him better, I opened the flap door and noticed nothing was different. If at all, he looked worse—as though he would die this night, with or without his transformation.

I ran towards him and kneeled down by his side, hoping to see that something—anything—had changed. I probably would have flung myself on him, had I thought it wouldn't hurt him. He may act tough all the time, but my hanyou did feel pain—weather he liked to admit it or not. He was awake, thank Kami, but still very weak.

I was worried beyond anything I'd ever felt before. I was all alone in the hut. The others, upon seeing his condition, left the village entirely along with all the remaining villagers. They were probably going to help the villagers get settled in Kaede's village for the time being, or something of the sort. The only sure thing was that everyone was gone. And I was glad. Not that I don't care about my friends, but I needed to be with Inuyasha. If I lost him again…well, I'd probably die myself.

The sun was about to set and I had laid Inuyasha's head in my lap. It reminded me of before—a long time ago, not long after I'd first started my journey for the jewel all those years ago. Inuyasha's first human night with me. Only now, I knew there was no way to save him. No poison, no Myoga, just me and a human hanyou. Well, soon-to-be human, anyway.

I waited and watched as I stroked his hair, silently praying as I sang "Blue Flow" to him. He'd said he liked it before…maybe it had been a lie. I wouldn't know. But I could tell that it helped with the pain. It relaxed him…and that was enough to help me continue.

After about thirty minutes I looked down at him. He had not changed. I looked out the door into the darkness. There was no mistake—the sun was gone. But my hanyou was still a hanyou. I wondered if I had perhaps miscalculated. But it wasn't possible. We all kept track of the moon cycle and tonight was the new moon. Maybe Tsuchi had done something to the cycle.

Then I remembered: "Tsuki shall make sure he is safe". He must have called to her with those notes from his horn. She does have complete control over the moon. She could have changed the cycle. But then why did she not come herself? Why send an angel who could do nothing for him but call to another angel? Well, whatever the reason, I was glad. Inuyasha would survive—his demon blood would make sure of that. He would heal. And maybe he'd learn not to do such stupid things.

I looked down at him and saw his eyes open ever so slightly. "…'Go-me…what happened?" I sighed with relief as he spoke. Yes. He would be fine.

"You went after Kurnai alone after we told you not to, you idiot. Two days later you were out in the field half-dead." Under normal circumstances, he would have been sat to hell and back for doing that right now…but I decided against it—for now. After all…he was injured…and in my lap. No use breaking my own legs, now was there?

"You better be lucky you're injured." I said with a gleam in my eye that anyone would have easily classified as 'evil' or 'murderous'. Even so, I don't think he saw it.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because otherwise I'd be forced to kill you myself, now wouldn't I?"

"And why would you do that?"

I just stared at him. Could he really be this dense? "Because you did the stupidest thing you could have done, given the circumstances! You ignored our warnings! You ran after the strongest enemy any of us have ever seen ALONE! You made me sit here and worry about you for two damn days while you went off on your little 'search and destroy' mission! You dragged yourself back, half-dead, to this village, barely able to stand! You had me worried sick over you! And then—oh yes, I'm not done there—because of you, I went to get help from my time and instead got myself trapped in a desert-like universe that I barely made it out of alive! And I found out in the mean time that I can't go home until we finish this damn 'save-the-world' thing! And you ask me why in the seven hells I would want to strangle you! Why don't you take a wild guess?"

I was so mad, I was practically smoking. Not that half of what I said really had anything to do with him, but it felt good to blame someone. However, this didn't cross my mind at the time. Instead I felt myself nearly exploding inside as I looked at the hanyou's confused face. For Kami's sake, I just TOLD him why I was mad at him and he still didn't have a clue in the world!

"UGH! What the hell is wrong with you! I just TOLD you why I was mad!" I don't know what was wrong with me. What should have been a romantic evening of alone time had turned into a battleground…and this time it was my fault. I suppose girls just get mood swings. Completely random mood swings. Kami they suck! (A/N: Tell me about it…) And I just proved my point because at that moment I felt closer to tears than anything.

I removed his head from my lap. "I need a bath." I squeaked quietly, and I quickly and silently left the hut, leaving one very confused hanyou behind me.

A/N: I finally finished it! Yay! sorry it's a little short, but if I'd continued it would have taken me a whole lot longer to update. But worry not for I have my plot and my song picked out already for the next chapter, so hopefully it won't take me that long…plus I have spring break in a couple weeks, so that'll give me plenty of time to type things. And after that I have my band trip! Yay! maybe that'll inspire me. Either way though, I have about 10 hrs of charter bus time up there and another 10 back, so I'll get plenty of writing done. So be happy!

Ok…explanations:

Miroku carrying Hiraikotsu- In the first movie, Kilala is poisoned and runs off and Sango runs after her. Miroku goes after Sango, grabbing her weapon just in case it's a trap and remarks about it's heaviness.

"Blue Flow"- the song from ch. 4 or whenever it was. The lullaby that Kagome taught Hojo who sang it to Sango.

And translation of "I Will":

_**If it's the overflowing tears, it's okay that they don't stop now**_

_**Light should be shining into the finale of the sadness**_

_**stay... stay... stay... stay...**_

_**Right, we believed in the same feeling**_

_**We gazed at the vanished memory**_

_**Now I can't meet you**_

_**But I can hide my painful thoughts**_

_**And become stronger**_

_**I'll go ascertain that**_

_**If it's the overflowing tears, it's okay that they don't stop now**_

_**Light should be shining into the finale of the sadness**_

_**The things that I destroyed when I was too rushed**_

_**I'll regain them, to walk like myself**_

_**Hey, let me say goodbye first**_

_**To you again back then**_

_**I believe that surely, there's a new tomorrow**_

_**Time that passes by unhesitatingly and unhurriedly**_

_**I won't forget the pain that changes into kindness**_

_**My heart that I wounded when I was too reckless**_

_**I'll embrace it, for the reborn me**_

_**I Will**_

_**If it's the overflowing tears, it's okay that they don't stop now**_

_**Light should be shining into the finale of the sadness**_

_**Time that passes by unhesitatingly and unhurriedly**_

_**I won't forget the pain that changes into kindness**_

_**The things that I destroyed when I was too rushed**_

_**I'll regain them, to walk like myself**_

_**I Will**_

****

And That's it for now. I'll see you guys later!

midnight-wolf-314


	30. Chapter 28: I Wanna Be Like Other Girls

A/N: Wow, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry::bows before readers:. I know this took forever! I know! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me! I have an excuse! Ok, it's not a great excuse, but I have one!

Again, I must blame my addiction to FMA! I know last time I was in complete denial about the ending. I have mostly gotten over it, but I have started reading FMA fanfiction::gasp:. I even wrote one! But I started reading them and I must confess my thoughts of anything Inuyasha, especially fluff, were completely drained and replaced with a growing need to write some Ed/Winry goodness! Which I did, but I'm gonna write more to it soon, cuz I gave it a sad ending and I hate sad endings. (there ya go! I will not give this one a sad ending because I would not be able to write it!) And I got a job::gasp: I now work at Dollywood 7 ½ hours a day, every other day or so. (and I'm getting rich! More FMA stuff! Yay!)

And I must apologize for my 27 previous chapters when I skipped time, I now realize that nothing but the ! showed up. I would go back and change it, but you would all get 27 or so e-mails (those of you on alert anyway) saying that I updated the chapters. If that happens, I swear I didn't do anything to them but change the dividers. I don't think I shall though, since no one has complained about it before. I just found out with my FMA fic.

Reviewers! (I haven't had many reviews. I bet most of you forgot about this fic since I never update, right? Ah, it should be expected. Thanks to those of you who did review though…it still means a lot to me.)

**_Amaya Mishugosha_**

**_Inuyasha05_**

THE-REAL-MYSTIC 

**_PInK cuTie KaGomE-micael m_**

**_full-metal-sousuke_**

**_Clouds of the Sky_**

Thanks to all of you!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha! And I also don't own the song "I Wanna Be Like Other Girls" from Mulan II. It's the more modern one in the credits performed by Atomic Kitten. Oh, and I took it straight from letssingit(dot)com so excuse all the nananana stuff.

I wanna be like other girls  
I wanna see what other girls see  
Just to be free like other girls  
GET TO BE   
nanana,na.na.na,nanana,na.na.na,nanana,na.na.na,  
wooooo  
To wear my old jeans  
To eat a whole cake  
Feel the sun on my feet   
Be quiet, be crazy  
Be anything I want to be  
Dance around in my underwear  
To walk by myself  
Do nothing all day  
To eat a whole cake  
Be cranky with frosting  
No cameras  
No pressures  
No phonies  
No hair jell  
No people who think that they know me but don't  
No platform shoes  
I wanna be like other girls  
I wanna see what other girls see  
Just to be free like other girls  
woooo woooo  
I wanna be like other girls  
I wanna see what other girls see  
Just to be free like other girls   
GET TO BE  
nanana,na.na.na.,nanana,na.na.na.,nanana,   
na.na.na.,nanana,woooo  
To stay in one place  
To sleep until 3  
To meet a nice guy who likes me for me  
No cameras  
No pressures  
No phonies  
No hair jell  
No people who think that they know me but don't  
No platform shoes  
I wanna be like other girls  
I wanna see what other girls see  
Just to be free like other girls  
woooo woooo  
I wanna be like other girls  
I wanna see what other girls see  
Just to be free like other girls   
Just to be free like other girls  
GET TO BE

And there ya have it!

Forget-Me-Not

Chapter 28

I ran and ran through the forest. It didn't matter to me that it was dark. Or that I was alone. Or that the only one who could protect me was severely injured back in a small little hut. And it didn't help that I had no clue where the nearest hot spring was. I didn't care about danger. I couldn't even believe that idiot. Of course, everyone already knew that Inuyasha was dense, but really.

My mind had temporarily shut down. I ran for what seemed like hours without a thought of anything except how angry I was. Until I finally spotted the steamy mist through the trees.

I pushed past the bushes I most likely would have jumped in completely clothed, but I remembered at the last second that I was there to take a bath.

After removing my clothes—the only decent thought I'd had all night—I entered the water. Again, it felt as though all my anger disappeared, like it so often does when one takes a hot bath. I would take a bath every day if I could, but Inuyasha seems to find it unnecessary to bathe daily. After our three years of my making them almost that often, he has now learned to make camp away from such places as hot springs. Not like that could stop me.

Twenty-five years in the modern world during my life, however, left me wishing for modern technology as well (aka- bath salts, bubble bath, scented oils, scented candles, etc.). Which, of course, led my mind right back to the fact that I might never return home. Which led to my argument with Inuyasha over what a jerk he is. Which led to the fact that I was completely miserable without him with me for those ten years, which made me realize that I was the idiot and that I had no right to yell like that, which made me realize that I had no clue where I was, so I couldn't return to the hut to apologize, which made me realize all of those things I mentioned before and now, I was upset, angry beyond all reason, and all alone in a forest I had no knowledge of. Not that I wasn't when I started this whole mission to find the damn hot spring in the first place.

Well, there was no point staying here. I was a sitting duck to Kurnai or any other demon who wanted to get close to the hanyou who held the sacred jewel, just as I had been years ago.

I got out and got dressed, not even having washed my hair or anything one normally does in a bath, and started walking after picking up my arrows. I had no idea where I was going, or what I would run into. I could not sit around, however, so I walked and walked, with no idea where I was headed.

It was late. And dark. Even though the moon was not yet new, thanks to Tsuchi or Tsuki or whoever had kept it that way, but the trees hung over the pathway I had found and there was but a sliver of the moon left. The stars were bright, but not enough to light my way. I found myself tripping over stones, branches, anything that got under my feet. I couldn't see anything.

I must have been going in the wrong direction, because I saw nothing, no matter how far I walked.

The minutes went by…turned to hours maybe, I had no clue. But then…I saw a light. Not nearly as bright as Assari was, or San, or even Tsuki…but it was there. Curiosity getting the better of me, I stepped closer to it. And all of the sudden, it came to me. I was shocked. Of course, I had seen my fair share of oddities, especially from English folklore, but this was the strangest yet.

It appeared to be a sort of unicorn, though not what you'd expect. Usually when you read about a unicorn (or get a mental image of one) you think of a cute little pony-like creature in a fairy-princess's magic world of happy dreams. This one, however, did not look in the least bit as though it came from happy-magic world. He was very beautiful, but not in the pretty-pony way. He was a large horse, and very muscled and strong at that. His hair was brilliant silver, though it was hard to tell with the faint golden light that still radiated off his body. His mane and tail were a dark, majestic blue but the large horn on his forehead was the most difficult to describe. It was as though every color in the world was mixed together into a single shade, but it wasn't black, like it would be if you took different colored crayons and mixed them together. It was almost rainbow, but the colors weren't separated.

In any way, as stunning as he was, this was not your average unicorn. I could tell he was an angel of course, and it finally hit me that he must be Tarento. That would mean that he's my dad! Sure, meeting mom was a big deal and everything, but I've always had a mother. She was there for everything—my first day at high school, my sixteenth birthday (even though I had to drag Inuyasha with me), the day I had to leave the Feudal Era forever, the day I got married, she helped me raise Sango…she was just there.

But they say, a girl needs a father more than a mother, but I was always without one. He died not long after Sota was born, so he was never there. I never had a real father. I loved him, of course, but I was too young then. I barely remember him. And now, I had the chance to make it up. I had my _real_ father. A bit too late, I'd say, but nevertheless, I would have a father.

I couldn't help it. I started crying. One would think that after all the tears I'd shed that day, I would have run out by now, but I guess there's always room for more. I didn't know what to do. He hadn't even said anything yet. I wondered if he knew who I was, though all the other angels knew, even before I did. I wondered if he would know about having a third daughter…if the other angels had told him.

I stepped forward a bit, tentatively.

"Daddy?"

He looked at me as though he was amazed that I called him that…happy though.

"Well that was easier than expected. Usually when a human finds out her father is a unicorn, I generally have to do some explaining." He smiled and started laughing as the tears left my face for good.

"I already met Mom." I said. "And I didn't exactly have a father who was human. Now I find out I can't return to my human mother; who am I supposed to talk to?"

"That hanyou of yours, maybe? He seems reliable enough, if a little arrogant."

"Well, I would, but…we kinda had an argument…"

"You mean you yelled at him."

"How…?"

"Well, he is currently sulking in that hut of yours, while you run off to soak in the hot spring waters. Then you leave and are running frantically through the forest with no idea of where you are going, without even doing what people normally go to the bath to do."

I couldn't believe it. He knew everything.

"Have you been stalking me?" I asked.

"First, does a father not have a right to watch out for his daughter? Especially when she's all alone in the forest, completely lost, and near-helpless? And second, even if I had not been 'stalking' you, as you so kindly put it, I am the stars. I see everything that happens under the sky every second of every day. I do not need to follow you to know what you have been doing." He was really enjoying this, I could tell. An angel he may be, but he was still just playing around. I think I like him better then San. He's less up-tight.

"But still," I say, "I can't exactly tell him things. He'll get mad, or jealous, or go sulking off on his own. And he never has any advice about anything."

"But you love him."

"What?"

"You love him. You, for no reason whatsoever, stood by his side for three straight years, gave him what you thought he wanted, and make your own life miserable because you want him to be happy. And even after ten years and countless attempts to forget everything that has happened, you still returned to him. He is your protector…your savior…and you love him more than anything. Even time could not tear you apart."

I just stared. "How do you know that? Are you gonna tell me you can read minds now?"

"No, I'm just observing my daughter's actions. You know it's easier to tell two people's feelings for each other if you are on the outside of the relationship?"

We had started walking—to where I don't know. Just down the path. Every now and then he would change my direction.

"Ok, so you caught me." I laughed. It amazed me how easy it was to talk to him. Especially after just meeting him. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"Why don't you tell the poor boy?"

"We're already together…"

"Which doesn't mean anything. You were with that other guy…and obviously that meant nothing."

"We were just friends."

"Right…but that's my point. Just because you've gone on a date with someone, or kissed someone, doesn't mean you really love them. So you should tell him—and soon."

"But what if…?"

"He doesn't like you? First off, that's nonsense. Anyone can see he loves you. And second, what allows you to decide he doesn't? Shouldn't you let him decide? But that's enough about him. I trust you've had enough people tell you that, and I know it's not going to help it come out. Now tell me, what else is on your mind?"

We had come to a clearing. It was beautiful. A huge lake sat right in the middle of it, the starlight and the small moon reflected off the water was small balls of light, and when actually looking at them, you could truly appreciate the beauty. Of course, anywhere in this time you could see the heavens better than in modern times, but this was amazing.

"Only everything, Daddy."

"And what would everything be? You can't expect me to remember everything…"

I knew he was lying…but as he lay down in the soft grass and gestured for me to lean on him, I didn't really care. For a moment, I couldn't even remember what was so wrong with my life. But they all came out of my mouth anyway.

"Just that I can't get back to my time, I killed my own husband, my three school friends are back at the hut wondering what the hell is going on and how on earth they got here, Kurnai is reeking havoc throughout the world and I can do nothing to stop it, Jinenji's village was completely destroyed, Inuyasha hates me now…I just want to be like other girls. Girls who don't have these sorts of problems. Who get to do whatever they want."

"Whoa, slow down a sec," He looked at me, "now one at a time. The well takes you to that wasteland, yes? Well, what is back home that you need so badly?"

"Mom, Sota, Grandpa, Buyo, my bed, my clean clothes, my shampoo, my pillows…"

"You've stayed here before without all of those things, and for longer then you've had to now."

"But I won't ever see them again! What if something happens to Grandpa? Or Mom? What if Sota can't get there to help them? What will they think? That I just ran away? Will they think I died?"

"But you don't know that you can never return. You can't now. Why?"

"Because Kurnai is alive and without me, the future would be destroyed."

"Right. But did you ever think that you can return when Kurnai is gone?"

"He won't ever be gone though! He's a horrible monster and he's much stronger then Naraku ever was! We only barely defeated our other archenemy. And he was just the beginning! Now our list of allies grows thin, our strength is leaving, and we have our children and my school friends to protect! What happens when he attacks them?"

"Alright, you've proven your point. But think for just a second. The list of angels may be dwindling, but we still have power over the elements. It's five against one, just with the angels. We have you, your half-demon (who is very strong, I've heard), and your other powerful friends. And remember, you are the greatest power.

"And now, take a look at the future you know. If I died, or San died, or Kurnai won, there would be no future. You saw what it looked like. It is all in balance. If you lost, say two years from now, there would never be a future. You would not have been born, and you would not have any of the things you care about there. And there is your proof that you will win."

I could say no more to that. He was right. If we failed, there would be no future. Since we know there is a future, well, Kurnai must end up dead sometime, even if it takes a lifetime. I smiled as I saw the sun coming up over the edge of the lake, just barely.

He spoke again. "Now as for killing your husband, was that not self defense? That's allowed even in your time, yes? He tried to murder. Unfortunately, it is necessary to kill murderers here, with the whole 'no prison' thing. Your friends are fine. They love it here, as you did when you arrived. It is a place that is hard not to love when you are from a different time. And Inuyasha is not mad at you. In fact, as soon as the sun rises and he is well enough to stand, he will be out looking for you. You know that. He always comes to your aid. And since he doesn't know me…"

Inuyasha would try to attack him, of course. But we have a simple solution to that. I have the _word_ and can use it any time I like. And he'll be seeing a lot of my dad, hopefully. He should know what it's like to grow up without a father. I don't know the story of his death in full, but I know that Inuyasha was alone growing up as well.

And for the first time in a long while, I was happy. I had a father. A great father. One who would help me solve my own problems and show me how blind I can be, without joking or laughing. But he wasn't serious either. Whenever I was upset, I knew he would make me laugh. It is a great feeling to have, you know. When you finally get to have a friend you can talk to about these things. And come to think about it, I had never really had someone I could talk to—other then Mom, of course, but while she's a great mom, I can't tell her everything. Daddy is different. And I couldn't ask for him to be any better.

"And as for being like other girls…think of everything you have that they don't. A loving family, two great homes, a jewel that can grant any wish you have, and, if I may say so, a pretty damn good boyfriend. I know your modern era friends are jealous! And you have a chance to show the world that being half-blood is not necessarily a bad thing. You have a great life—why change it?"

He had a point.

"Daddy…?" I asked. He looked down at me. "Inuyasha's never had a father…or any family, for that matter. It seems unfair somehow, that I haven't either and then I found you. He's had such a horrible life. Do you think you could, you know, be kinda like a step dad to him or something?"

He smiled. "Of course. He is, after all, going to end up as my son-in-law, right?"

My eyes got wide. "Daddy!"

"Well, he is, isn't he? You do love him, and I know he loves you just as much…it won't be that long…"

I rolled my eyes. "That's what you think."

"Hey, don't you remember that talk we had a little while ago?"

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Now look here, you just got a dad for the first time in twenty-some years and you're already back talking me!"

And we both just laughed.

It wasn't too long before the sun was completely up and I realized just how tired I was. I'd been awake all night, and walking through a forest, at that (well, running actually). And Daddy's fur was so soft, it was almost like my pillow at home.

We had laughed for a while, just making jokes, and sometimes I would tell stories of those three years I was here before. Somehow, we'd always wind up back on the subject of Inuyasha and me together. But it was no longer serious. We were just having fun, and we both knew it. But I was almost asleep.

I kept waiting for Inuyasha. If I knew him at all, he'd be out by now, healed or not, swearing he was strong enough to walk. "Daddy, is Inuyasha coming soon?" I asked.

"He just left the hut. Give him about five minutes—you know how fast that boy can run when you're in danger."

"But I'm not in danger."

"He doesn't know that, now does he?"

And we laughed again. I could get used to this.

"Are you going to leave like all the other angels did? Could you stay?"

"I can stay for a little while…talk to Inuyasha about some things, but I will have to leave soon. No later than a couple days."

"Talk to Inuyasha about what things?"

"Just about how much he loves you and how he should just admit it like a man."

"Daddy!"

"Ok, ok, not really. But I will bring it up…probably give him the same lecture I have you…maybe loosen him up a bit. You realize that kid never laughs? Ever? He's gotta get over his loneliness thing soon if you two are going to be married by the end of this year…let's see, what will we do? We'll need a kimono for you, and some cake, of course, and we'll have to have _everyone_ there…oh we could have two weddings! One in your time and one here! How wonderful!"

"You're acting like a girl, Daddy, freaking out about wedding plans when we're not even getting married!"

"Not yet you aren't, but I know a few people who'd be happy to help me got you together…"

"I thought father's were supposed to 'protect' their daughters from other guys, not do the matchmaking for them!"

"No, I suppose you're right. Would you rather I bite his head off? I may be a horse but my teeth are still pretty sharp!" He bared his teeth like he was growing to prove his point. I would have laughed, but you see, Inuyasha chose that time to jump through the bushes, Tetsusaiga drawn. He obviously hadn't been there long, because the fact that my company was growling gave him the conclusion that I was in some form of trouble (not that he wouldn't have anyway).

He stood there screaming out obscenities at my 'captor', maybe waiting for Dad to at least stand up and meet the challenge. But Dad just sat there smiling (as much as a horse can smile, anyway).

Of course, I was quite amused. I was going to 'sit' him a million times over simply for running off like he had and scaring me half to death. Why not do it while he was in midair? Maybe my point would get through his thick skull faster that way.

It took him a while, but he eventually seemed to decide that Dad did, in fact, know he was there, and was merely 'mocking' him by not facing the challenge. He was still yelling, I might add.

"The boy does run his mouth a lot, does he not?" Daddy whispered to me before standing up—right before Inuyasha jumped and—

"SIT!"

He was sent to the ground with a thud, like usual. He jumped again.

"Sit."

And again. Until finally, I decided to keep him down.

A string of 'sit's from me, a load of curses from Inuyasha, and a lot of strange laughter from Daddy, and I finally stopped.

"I hope that'll teach you not to run off to a pointless battle like a maniac! Maybe next time I'll do it while you're still wounded!" I could still hear Daddy laughing.

"Well that's all just great!" He yelled, and I knew he was mentally rolling his eyes (probably to prevent further 'sit's). "But why'd you have to do it while I was attacking that guy?"

I smiled. "Torture. We knew you'd attack him. Might as well kill two birds with one stone."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means," I sighed for dramatic effect, "That I was sitting you for yesterday and what you said last night already, and since I knew I'd have to say the 's' word to keep you from attacking him, I figured I'd do it at the same time. Or would you rather I 'sit' you some more for that one too?"

He was on the ground again.

"And by the way. He's an angel."

He stood up again and I knew I heard a 'feh' from him, but chose to ignore it for the time being.

"And…he's my dad."

A/N: Wow, hope you all liked that. I have finally gotten myself out of writer's block (I hope) so I should be updating soon again. Maybe on Friday, when I'm off…I have to make my Dad's Father's Day present, and I have no clue how long that will take, but if I get time, I will write some. I'm off on Sunday too, just in case I can't get to it on Friday!

I hope to get some fluff going here again soon, and hopefully move the plot along. I don't want this fic to be over 50 chapters, but at the rate this is going…please tell me what you think. Should I make it a long time like it is in the series or should I keep it short? And suggestions on what to do with the jewel, please!

And some of the things from this chapter are in honor of Father's Day, even though I know my dad won't be reading this. It's at least somewhat based off my dad, esp. the part where she points out that dads are supposed to hate it when their daughters get boyfriends (he's been trying to set me up with everyone and now that I actually have a boyfriend I told him that. He jokes around about it, but I know he really doesn't care about it. He's always teasing me, too, so I just had to throw in some goofiness! Don't be surprised if you see more of it, especially if I give them mock arguments over random things…they'll most likely be things my dad really has said. He tries to get me to believe it, too. Mom thinks we should write children's books about all of our randomness. Maybe we should. lol

Well, that's about it, I guess. I will talk to you soon, assuming I get some time to update between work and everything (don't worry, I should).

I love people who review! And now that I have found out about the lovely review reply thing, I shall reply like that, unless you don't give me anything to reply to. In which case, you get the 'thank you' at the beginning of every chapter and your name in big bold letters because I love you guys even if you don't say anything but "good chapter" or even if you hate it and flame me horribly.

ttyl

3

Midnight


	31. Chapter 29: HappyGoLucky

A/N: GAH, gomen gomen gomen gomen gomen gomen gomen and an infinity times over, gomen nasai::Bows completely to the ground:: I am soooooooo sorry for not updating this story! Yes, I realize it's about a week before the 1-year mark for the last time I actually updated! And if I remember correctly, I said a week? Heh…oopsie…

alright, well, there's not much of an excuse for my lack of writing aside from HUGE writer's block! I haven't been having a very happy time with this story and every time I sat down to write more, I just wound up confusing myself, changing it 20 times over, and then rewriting it, only to change it again! Then I got off on other things, seeing as I don't read Inuyasha fanfiction very often at all anymore, and I had to slow my obsession of FMA with the movie coming out, and then I got obsessed with other anime/manga like Fruits Basket, Azumanga Daioh, Cardcaptor Sakura, etc. and every time I thought 'I should write FMN' it was 'after I read this fic' and I'm tired of it! So now, I'm on summer break, no more promises (you see where that gets us, yes?), but I will have another chapter up with this one, because it's one chapter I've been dying to write, and I'll try to write more this summer (hopefully I'm out of this slump::bangs hand on

desk:: )

Now, to thank my lovely reviewers! I got so many reviews for the last chapter and it made me SOOOO happy and I'm SOOOO sorry I haven't been updating to make you all happy! Please don't hate me! I love you all and thank you! If it wasn't for you, this story wouldn't even be saved on my computer right now and I definitely would have given up even trying to work my way out of my slump.

_**Golden-Eyes-Inuyasha-girl (for reviewing practically every chapter! Thanks!)**_

_**LoonyBin08**_

_**Mel**_

_**THE-REAL-MYSTIC**_

_**Inuyashaz-ghetto-girl (x3)**_

Pon Pon Pocky 

_**InuKagLuver**_

_**snowman80 (x4)**_

_**PInK cuTie KaGomE-micael m**_

_**He Who Lurks In Shadow (heheh, finally, I update! And it's actually all thanks to the AIM convo or else this story would be ummm…still not updated at all. So thank you!)**_

_**Clouds of the Sky**_

_**Raven2evil**_

_**Amaya Mishugosha**_

_**full-metal-sousuke**_

THANK YOU TO EVERY ONE OF YOU!!!!!!!! I was so happy that I got this many reviews on one chapter, esp. when I hadn't updated in a couple months, and now that it's been a very long time, I hope you all haven't forgotten about this fic, but if you have, I understand (I would have too, by now). Thank you all sooooo much!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha, which should be obvious by the 28 previous chapters with disclaimers saying I don't own Inuyasha. The song is not mine because its "Happy-Go-Lucky" by Steps and it's off the Princess Diaries soundtrack and it's a great song.

_Now I've put it to the test_

_I know it's for the best_

_In fact it's good that you walked out on me oh baby_

_I, I've learned how to survive_

_Without you in my life_

_So why am I still talking 'bout you baby_

_The world only sees me smilin'_

_My pillow knows the truth every night_

_'Cause thats where I hide my sorrow_

_And they call me happy go lucky_

_They don't know my heart is dying inside_

_A smile's a frown turned upside-down_

_I do my happy go lucky so well_

_I'm even fooling myself_

_When I see the morning light_

_I put on this facade_

_It's all I have to protect my pride_

_It's all I've got, this smile is all I've got_

_And they call me happy go lucky_

_They don't know my heart is dying inside_

_A smile's a frown turned upside-down_

_I do my happy go lucky so well_

_I'm even fooling myself_

_**Forget-Me-Not**_

_**Chapter 29 (FINALLY!!!)**_

He just stared at me. I had no idea how long we were there before he spoke. "What?"

"I said that he's my dad, Inuyasha." I didn't know what I had expected from him. He certainly wouldn't be happy. Jealous, maybe? Upset? I had no idea. But the way he was staring at me, and the way he spoke, showed no emotion. And it scared me. Inuyasha had not seemed emotionless since the day I unpinned him from the tree. I thought we'd broken past all of that. But maybe, just maybe, Kaede was wrong when she said I could help him.

"Could I talk to you, Kagome?" He paused and gave a death glare to Tarento. "Alone?"

Dad didn't seem to care what Inuyasha thought of him. Why did I? Why was it so important that my friend like my dad? But, I followed Inuyasha all the same, and wondered for a brief moment if unicorns had as good a hearing sense as Inuyasha did.

Obviously, Inuyasha either knew they didn't, or hadn't thought of it, because we had not walked far by the time he stopped me.

"What on earth are you talking about 'he's your dad'?!"

"I mean just that. He's my dad."

"He's a unicorn!"

"So? You do remember the legend, don't you? And what Tsuki told us? I do have other parents, Inuyasha. I've already met my mother too."

"She said they wouldn't know anything about you because you're from the future and they have not yet been there."

"It doesn't mean they couldn't have _told_ him. He has to know eventually that some other daughter of his besides Kikyo and Midoriko came along to defeat Kurnai!"

"How do you know all of this isn't some sort of trick? This entire legend could be some trap."

"I saw the future, Inuyasha! It's not a trick! And now, until we kill Kurnai, the only future I _can_ see is in ruins! So what does that mean, huh? Other than Kurnai, who else do we know capable of turning this world into some deserted wasteland?!" I was sure I had tears running from my eyes by that time, but I was too angry to feel them. "Why can you not just accept that for the first time in a long time I can actually be happy about something?"

Again, he was staring at me. I could tell he was trying to think of something rude to say so that he could win the argument, but Inuyasha had always had trouble with crying girls.

"I know it's not fair, Inuyasha. I know your life hasn't been great either. But for once in my life, I have everything I want. Why do you have to hate everything that makes me happy?"

Now he really didn't know what to say. And so I turned around, walking back towards Daddy. I didn't hate Inuyasha. I wasn't even mad at him. I had learned a long time ago that both were nearly impossible to do. But I couldn't stand him staring at me any longer.

He was in front of me before I could take two steps, his arms wrapped around me, just tight enough to keep me from escaping. "I thought you were happy, Kagome. I thought you wanted to be here with me."

"I do. And I'd give up anything for it. But now, in just a couple days, I've felt like I lost everything and more. You left. And for two days I thought you were dead. And when you returned, I again thought you would die. So I went to get help. And what do I find out? I can't return to my world anymore. But by some miracle, you're alive, and now I've found the one thing I wanted more than anything else, even before I met you. And you can't just let me have it. You have to question everything. I thought you trusted me enough to accept what I do. I'm not hypnotized. I'm not possessed. I just finally found the one thing I've wanted more than anything. "I'm finally happy. And I want you to be happy too."

And with that I pushed him aside and walked onward, back towards where I had come from. He didn't try to stop me. Maybe he was too shocked to say anything…or maybe he was mad at me. But whatever the reason, I wanted to make my point. And if nothing else could prove my point, I was sure that walking away would. He doesn't listen to my words. He doesn't believe me, and he obviously doesn't trust me. I had hoped that we could work over his past. But it seems all the time I've spent with him has done nothing for that. He's still so quick to judge, and after all this time he still hasn't learned that giving people the benefit of the doubt worked out more often than killing them.

Truth be told, I completely wanted him to come after me. I hated storming out like that, but he needs to get it through his thick skull that just because a guy talks to me does not make him evil. I walked slowly through the forest, giving him plenty of time to catch up with me if he wanted…or plenty of time to snap out of that daze he was in…or cool down…or just get a serious attitude adjustment.

"Why can't he just be happy for me?" I mumble to myself. "I kinda get where he's going with it, but he still has no right to tell me who I can see and who I can't. Why do I feel like I hate my life right now? I should be happy. I have so much more than I could hope for. But why does it feel like the opposite? And what did I do to deserve such a life?"

"Because you are special. You are a daughter of angels. You have received the life you were supposed to have, both the good and bad that come with it. Many would give their lives just to have yours for a day. But then again, the outside view and the inside view are very different, are they not?"

I looked around for the source of the voice, but as soon as the small speech was done, Daddy stepped out from the trees. Why was he back there instead of on the path? Ah well.

"Well, yes, I realize that, but wouldn't I give my life for a day in theirs as well? Why is that, Daddy? That I can hate the life I live and yet still, others would give anything for it. It doesn't make sense. Why do I seem to think their life is perfect? Why do they think the same of mine? It's pointless. If one of those girls gave their life to spend a day in mind, how would they feel when the day was over and all they had achieved was to learn the downside of my life? They would have wasted their lives for nothing."

He smiled. "This reminds me of something I was told once, long ago, before all of the wars, by Mizu. She was the angel of the water, and she was very wise as well. Many of us looked to her for guidance most of all.

"She said 'for some reason, we always find a way to see only the bad in ourselves, and only the good in others. Envy is an evil desire, but we feel it nonetheless, and it is a part of all of us. It takes a lot of skill to learn to love yourself. In fact, it's nearly impossible to do on your own. You cannot just _see_ the good qualities in yourself. It's a lot easier when someone sees them for you. You could look at your hair and think, 'It's awful! I wish mine was as beautiful as hers' but only until that someone comes up to you and says 'I love your hair. I wish mine was that beautiful.' And then you begin to realize, that maybe it's not so bad. And really, all you need to hear to love that quality is for someone to say 'It's beautiful'.'

"Does that make any sense to you?"

"Yeah…it does. A lot, actually. But she never said why we think that way."

"Because not even she knew that. It's a way of life…a known fact. But rarely are we given answers to such difficult questions. Humans think they own the world. They think it's okay to mess with nature. They think what they're doing is right, especially when it's not. Curious creatures, really. They already know so much, and yet they still want more. Do you need a reason? What would an explanation do you? What would it do for any of us? Answers only lead to more questions. More questions lead to more answers. And soon, human beings think they know everything. They corrupt the world with their answers. Even now, they come up with more ways to kill…more ways to destroy…and it still is not enough for them."

Was he yelling at me, just then? It was hard to tell if he was angry or if he was just pointing it out. Not that it isn't true…in my time especially. But still…for one question to make him so upset…

He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I guess I got a little carried away there. Living all these years, I have seen what the world once was…and how it has changed because man decided to intervene. Just make sure to remember, not all questions need answers. Otherwise, the beauty of life is taken away.

"But do you understand? Your life is no different than others. You may be special. You may have a life people want, but you feel the same about them. Just remember to think of that next time you argue with Inuyasha. I'm sure he wishes he could be as happy as you are."

And with that, he turned around, and his body began to glow. It seemed to take forever for him to change, but when I did I'm sure I didn't believe what I saw. There stood Kurnai, on his human form. "Just remember, you cannot see one's true flaws until you see them closer than your eyes alone allow."

He walked away with that, slowly. I'm not exactly sure what I should have done, but at the moment my mind wasn't working right. I guess I was in shock now too. My head was spinning. Was that really Kurnai, or was it Daddy? Well, I know Kurnai can morph…but I don't know what powers Daddy would have…but maybe they have the same? Then again, why would Daddy want me to believe that Kurnai isn't as evil as everyone says he is? But why would Kurnai act like that himself? GAH! "I don't get it!"

"Don't get what?"

I turned around only to come face to face with Daddy. Or I think he's Daddy…maybe he's Kurnai? Or maybe that was Daddy and not Kurnai. But what if it really was Kurnai and now this is Kurnai too. Or maybe this is really Daddy and the other one was really Kurnai or maybe this one's Kurnai and the other one was Daddy…I'm confused!

"Daddy…? Is that really you or are you Kurnai or was Kurnai you or were you Kurnai or are you Daddy or were you Daddy or…"

"Stop! Now, why don't you tell me what on earth you're talking about."

"Well you were just here and we were talking and then you turned into Kurnai or he turned from you back into him or something like that and left and now you're here and I'm confused!"

"You say I just changed into Kurnai, yes?"

I nodded.

"Well, that is impossible for me. You see, I can't shape-shift. Kurnai is the only one with that ability."

"So what ability do you have?"

"What makes you think I have one? You know, no angel has exactly the same power. But some have no powers, save for the control of their element. I am stars. What makes you think I would be granted such a strong power?"

"Oh please daddy, you and mom are the two most powerful angels! That's how you made Midoriko, Kikyo, and me. You have to have some power!"

"Okay, you caught me. But for the record, we're not the most powerful angels. All angels are equal in strength. Corruption is just stronger. But you want to see?"

I nodded again.

"Very well. Just beware, this might draw a bit of unwanted attention…" He closed his eyes and stood there for what seemed like forever. However, just when I started to wonder if anything would happen at all, Tarento starts glowing. Not even glowing. He became a shimmering brilliance I never even thought was possible to witness—a pure white light, so bright and strong I had to shield my eyes from him. Suddenly, he flew up into the air and the light exploded, shooting off into the distance—it was like watching a star explode…and it was more beautiful than I ever imagined. Black overtook the sky where he was positioned for a brief moment before he floated back down to ground level. "See why I didn't want to do that? Every demon within a 30-km radius just found out exactly where we are."

"Well why didn't you just do that on the ground?"

"And blow you and Inuyasha and all your friends to tiny pieces? I try not to make a habit of murdering my daughters." He smirked and I started laughing.

"Well, they may know where we are, but at least they know to stay away."

"True."

"But why haven't you ever used that on Kurnai? Couldn't that be the end of a battle right there?"

"Kurnai is one of us, as strange as it may seem. An angel cannot harm another angel. It's against all the laws that control us. He may be fallen, but he is still an angel and may yet become one again if he so desires. It does not do well to trust him, but we don't have any choice. That's where you come in as well. You are our daughter, but you are not an angel. You have the power to destroy any one of us at this exact moment, though you don't know how, and neither do we, unfortunately. That is something you will learn hopefully sometime soon. But you must remember that Kurnai cannot hurt us either. But, he _can_ hurt you. So always keep a watchful eye for him.

"Speaking of which…he didn't hurt you in any way, did he?"

"No, he never did. Actually, he was very nice, and gave pretty good advice. The only way he was any different from you was when he changed before leaving."

"Well, that is strange, yes. Normally he should have acted immediately and done something while he had you alone…but do not be so quick to judge him either way. I do not believe Kurnai to be evil at all, more like misled. But, that does not mean I trust him around you of all people, so always be wary of your company."

"But you don't think he's evil? Why?"

He sighed. "I trust, then, that Tsuki did not tell you the full story behind the angels. I suggest you make yourself comfortable. It's a long explination…"

A/N: Yes, I know it's not as long as other chapters, but that's because this chapter has had me stuck for just under a year and I said 'aw forget it, I'll just post what I got'. But now, it's set the stage for a chapter I've been thinking about writing since before Christmas and never got the chance to. I always thought it would come at least 5 chapters from this one, but seeing as I don't have anywhere else to go, we'll pull it from here. This chapter is updated too, so really you'll get longer than what you usually get.

Anyways, I'm gonna get started on that next chapter! warm fuzzies all around!

ttys

3

Midnight


	32. Chapter 30: Forsaken

A/N: Well, as promised, here's the 2nd chapter I'll upload today.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha, and I don't own the song "Forsaken" by Within Temptation.

_**Now the day has come.**_

_**We are forsaken this time.**_

_**We lived our lives in our paradise,**_

_**as gods we shaped the world around.**_

_**No borderlines we'd stay behind,**_

_**though balance is something fragile.**_

_**While we thought we were gaining,**_

_**we would turn back the tide, it still slips away.**_

_**Our time has run out, our future has died,**_

_**there's no more escape.**_

_**Now the day has come,**_

_**we are forsaken,**_

_**there's no time anymore.**_

_**Life will pass us by,**_

_**we are forsaken,**_

_**we're the last of our kind.**_

_**The sacrifice was much too high,**_

_**our greed just made us all go blind.**_

_**We tried to hide what we feared inside.**_

_**Today is the end of tomorrow.**_

_**As the sea started rising,**_

_**the land that we'd conquered just washed away.**_

_**Although we all have tried to turn back the tide,**_

_**it was all in vain.**_

_**Now the day has come,**_

_**we are forsaken,**_

_**there's no time anymore.**_

_**Life will pass us by, we are forsaken,**_

_**only ruins stay behind.**_

_**Now the day has come.**_

_**We are forsaken this time.**_

"There was a time when angels ruled all things. The ten of us were the gods the world had needed. We didn't create it, but we controlled it. And that was good enough for all of us. We were the strongest, the boldest, and the greatest. No one—not human, demon, or other—would dare to interfere with our balance. But, as you know, this peace didn't last. The angels were fools for believing that power was so easy to take, and thus the war began.

"We don't know who it was, but someone drew his own power and hated us for trying to possess something we had no right to take. This caused the massive uproar Tsuki mentioned and ultimately destroyed 4 angels. Six—that would be Assari, Kurnai, Tsuchi, Tsuki, San, and myself—were left to cower in our existence for eternity. We had learned our lesson, and there was no way we could ever hope to regain what dictation we had over the world. We were going to sit back and watch the world unfold the way it was meant to…until things turned for the worse yet again.

"The powers of the four departed angels became wild and untamed. This resulted in the creation of the daughters, including you, Midoriko, and Kikyo. And the powers still remained untamed. This is what you know already.

"But let me explain what happened somewhere in between these events.

"Kurnai was one of us. He hid with us and watched the world turn to despair.

"But let me explain from the beginning.

"We angels controlled the world and the elements, and we believed ourselves to be indestructible and almighty. We were, of course, also separated which made matters even worse. I remember being asleep in a cave on Tsuchi's land that day, when I woke to see them marching. There were millions, even billions, of demons, humans, and animals marching all together in the same gigantic block! Being the angel of the stars, I had no demons to control; therefore they had no grudge against me. Tsuchi, however, was another story.

"Being the angel of the earth, he had more attackers than probably all the other angels combined. Wondering what they were up to, I followed them right to Tsuchi, who was not doing anything of interest at that moment. He turned around to greet his "loyal subjects". What fools we were then! And they attacked. Both of us together managed to fight off enough to simply escape to the desert domain that Kaji and Cooksey ruled together. They were under similar attacks as Tsuchi's and we all fought on against the hoards of now three regions of demons.

"Eventually, the battle ended, with Cooksey badly injured and the rest of us not much better off. Then, for the first time since the Beginning, the angels all met together to discuss the happenings.

"Still, none could understand the reason why the rebellion was taking place. It made no sense, and yet still it was happening, and we needed a plan of action. The problem was, we were cornered. Those on land could help out, but what of Cooksey and Mizu? They both lived in regions the rest of us could not venture into. They were on their own. And even so, angels should not hurt anything, much less those who serve under them. Kurnai could only fight in the darkness. San could only fight in the sun and the moon bound Tsuki to a monthly pattern. Any of these factors could determine our weaknesses, and the demons knew this.

"Even so, we had to do something. Those with boundaries could not be helped as much as it pained us to know. We were bound to lose some in this battle we could not win, because some had no place to retreat to. Where do you hide in a barren desert? Or high in the skies?

"The battle came and we fought our hardest, especially Kurnai, our most loyal angel, who nearly gave his life on several occasions while trying to fight in daylight. After two days, his strength had dissipated. Only then retreating, we broke down what little pride we had left. Four were dead. Mizu, Kaji, Cooksey, and Tenka all fell in battle. The rest of us ran. We wouldn't be fool enough to split up a second time, nor would we attempt to regain any of the control we had lost in the previous few days. We hid in a place no one could find save for us, and that was all we could do. We sat back and watched the world turn to ruin as we contemplated our foolishness.

"But this story is not about our defeat. No, it is about a betrayal.

"One day, Assari called to Kurnai. Darkness and light had not yet attempted to create a daughter and combinations were running thin. It was time to try the opposites. Light and dark were as different as good and evil, we all noted. Maybe this is the combination we've been looking for. Of course, none of us meant that Kurnai was evil. After all, he had saved us all on more than one occasion in the past war! He was, if nothing less, the greatest of all of us, and the one with the purest heart.

"He was, however, corrupted. Living in that cave, he had subjected himself to darkness for every hour of the day, not just the night. This change had caused him to gain an overwhelming surge of power that was usually maintained by the cycle of day and night. At that moment, this surge exploded in a blast of fury. He outright attacked Assari for even suggesting that he represented evil. Realizing what he had done, Kurnai fled for the day, allowing his powers to dissipate to San like they should have all along. Before he returned, there was an argument about his nature.

"'He is darkness,' some stated. 'It's only natural that he turn against us.'

"'Darkness is not evil,' others said. 'And might you remember how he saved us all in the war!?'

"'He lashed out like that! He finally showed his true nature!'

"And I am sorry to report that when Kurnai finally returned with his mind cleared, those who would label him evil greatly outnumbered poor Tsuki, who was alone in her beliefs. We chased him away. Yet another mistake was made, and we lost another ally. After that, the reign of the angels was over. Most even forgot we existed.

"From there, Kurnai became what he is today. He was now outcast from everything in the world except his own darkness and he had nothing left to do than prove to us that it does not do well to speak that of which we don't know. He became a monster.

"'Do you see now!?' He cried to us. 'You have created this. I trusted you and here you abandon me to my loneliness and 'evil ways'. Well, let me assure you, you got your wish! Kurnai is forever against you angels! I will show you! You have not seen true evil until now.'

"It was the last thing we heard come out of his mouth. He disappeared after that, showing up years later with a son, Onigumo, and claiming to possess the boy with the power to destroy the angels. Later, Naraku was created. Then he was destroyed…by you. You are the power that can stop Kurnai. The angels are no longer foolish enough to believe that he is evil. Some still stand by their decision, but others do not. Among us, you will find several who refuse to fight in this battle because of the trouble they have already caused.

"Kagome, Kurnai is not evil. He is not a demon. He is an angel, and was a very beautiful one until out mistakes. You will, however, have to make your own decision about his true nature. It is you who can save him and you who can destroy him. Your choice. Pick wisely.

"Now I must depart. I have spent way too much time here, and Tsuchi is calling the angels together at the moment. I will see you soon. And no matter what you think from what I just said, Kurnai is corrupted. Do not attempt to break him free of that alone. Do not trust him."

I nodded. And stared blankly. I couldn't help it. Here was yet more to the story Tsuchi had told Inuyasha and me, and it was not what I'd expected in the least. Dad left, I noted blankly, and as if on cue, Inuyasha stepped out of the trees.

"What happened to you?" he said coldly.

"Long story."

"I've got time."

"I'll tell you later."

He sighed. "Let's go back to Kaede's hut."

"Why?"

"Kagome, how much sleep have you had this past week?"

"Good point."

And just as I think he might actually turn soft again, he has to go and ruin it…

"Better yet…why don't you go home? I'm sure your mom is worried about you."

I took deep calming breaths. "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"Go stand over there." I pointed to a place about three feet away from me.

"Why?"

"JUST DO IT!"

"Okay…" He moved over to the spot. "Now what?"

I smiled sweetly. "Inuyasha…."

"What!?"

"DO YOU NOT LISTEN TO ME AT ALL!!!? WHAT THE HELL HAVE I REPEATED OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR THE PAST COUPLE DAYS TO YOU!? WHY WAS I IN SUCH A PISSED OFF MOOD BEFORE MY DAD SHOWED UP, HMM? ANSWER ME!!!!"

"Ummm…"

"SEE!? WHY DO I EVEN BOTHER TELLING YOU ANYTHING? YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION. WHAT REALLY HAPPENS TO THING I SAY INUYASHA? DOES IT GO IN ONE EAR AND OUT THE OTHER!? OR MAYBE IT DOESN'T REACH YOU AT ALL. MAYBE IT JUST BOUNCES OFF THAT DAMN CINDERBLOCK WALL YOU'VE HAD AROUND YOU SINCE THE DAY I MET YOU!" I take a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. You must think I've been in some constant form of PMS since the day I came back here, but I am tired of not being listened to and I'm tired of repeating myself to you!"

I looked up at him…or down at him. Yup, he's sitting down. I took more deep breaths. 'It's okay, Kagome, he doesn't mean to be such a blockhead… he can't help it…'

"Kagome…?"

"Yes Inuyasha?"

"What's PMS?"

"AAAAAAARGH!!!!!!! JUST…UGH! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! I AM NOT ABOUT TO EXPLAIN PMS TO MY BOYFRIEND! JUST, INUYASHA? SHUT UP! YOU ARE DIGGING YOURSELF INTO THE BIGGEST HOLE I HAVE EVER SEEN YOU IN WITH ME AND WITH EVERY STUPID QUESTION YOU ASK IT GETS WORSE."

"Okay, okay, yeesh…now, calm down. I admit that I do not remember what this is about. Please take a deep calming breath and explain."

I screamed and stomped off.

"Kagome? Kagome come back! You know what you need? A bath! Baths always make you feel better. Kagome…? Kagome…? Kagome come back!"

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'Okay, so maybe I went a little overboard with that, but seriously! How many times have I told him that I can't go back home? It hasn't even been that long! I have not been having a good past few days. Maybe he's right…I do need a bath. I couldn't exactly enjoy my last one now could I? With that thought, I head off to the hot spring I'd left a couple days ago. Maybe Inuyasha'll get un-dense in the time I'm gone.'

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Inuyasha's POV

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'All right, so I probably deserved everything she just said. What in hell did I say to make her so angry?

''_Better yet…why don't you go home? I'm sure your mom is worried about you.'_

'Oh yeah. Oops. Ah well, better go find Kagome and apologize.'

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Kagome's POV again

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I sighed as I sank down into the hot water. I missed my bath salts and my bubbles and foam and oils and body wash and soap and shampoo, but right then, even just the water helped. I leaned back against a near-by rock. Inuyasha was right, I was tired. I sighed again. 'Maybe I could just take a small nap before he comes to his senses…'

But just as I closed my eyes…

"Sorry…guess I deserved that."

I groaned. So much for my nap. "Yes, you did. Care to leave me alone for a bit?"

"No. I haven't spent hardly any time with you since before we found Sango and Miroku."

"Yes we have."

"Okay, not nice time. You've always been mad at me…" I glared at him. "Which I completely deserve!" he said quickly. "But, you need to calm down. You've been in a bad mood lately and yes, I know why. But just remember, you don't know what triggers these special powers you have…you don't want to explode or anything."

"You're right, of course. I think it is about time we go back home. Just give me a minute… and go stand behind that rock over there."

"Why?"

"Because I said so!"

"Okay."

I stood up to get out and fell back over, clutching the rock to steady myself.

"Kagome?"

"Sorry Inuyasha…I'm just a little dizzy…"

"You're too tired. Here, let me help."

"Inuyasha, you can at least let me dress myself!"

"Not if you can't stand up!"

"I can very well support myself long enough to put on my robes!"

"No, you can't!"

"Excuse me!?"

"Nothing."

"That's what I thought."

I dressed as quickly as possible. I hated to admit it, but I was still dizzy…

"Alright Inuyasha, you can come now."

He stepped around the rock and picked me up. "It'll be a while. I won't run, so you can go ahead and nap."

With that I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, completely thankful that my hanyou was strong enough to carry me.

A/N: So, how was it? Hopefully not too bad. I had originally intended to go into great detail with Tarento's story and have that be the entire chapter…but it was only 3 1/2 pages long, so I had to add more. I hope it won't be too long before I update again. I have the ending planned out now, like what's going to happen in the final battle, but it's just a matter of getting there. I hope not to drag this story on too much longer. Maybe a few chapters of building it up and then a couple chapters for the battle, and then about 2 chapters for the ending to play out. So…10 chapters at the most, but hopefully not even that many. Anyways, thanks to anyone who's still reading this story, and remember, I love reviews!

ttys

3

Midnight


	33. Chapter 31: Beat of my Heart

A/N: Well, here I am again, and I finally feel motivated to finish this story! I have a rough outline going through the end of the story (it's only rough cuz I don't like outlines. I always change them anyways.) and, I have the chapter after this written too, but I'm not gonna post it today. So, I'll try to update every other day until this is finished because I'm actually finding myself with time and motivation to write this story! Woohoo! So, the next chapter, which I have completely done, will be up on Monday, the next on Wednesday, then Friday, etc. until I'm done with this story, which shouldn't be too much longer! Woohoo!

Just one little request—at this exact moment, I am 25 reviews away from hitting 300. I want 300 reviews for this story! I'm so close! This story is almost done, but I'm gonna milk it for all its worth, review-wise. I know most of my reviewers have probably forgotten that this story even exists, and therefore won't review, but two of you reviewed on these past chapters and I know of two other people who _should_ be reviewing cuz they told me they would and are perfectly aware that they are up so I hope we can do this! I hate begging for reviews, but I really wanna hit 300 within the next 6-or-so chapters (cuz then the story will be done!) I would like the last chapter to be a party chapter to celebrate me finally finishing this story, and my first true plotline story having a final chapter! Plus, I'll gather everyone together and give all reviewers a BIG thank you page at the very end (if I reach 300. ;D)

Well, I got three reviews this time. Not that I should be surprised. But, I thank the two people who reviewed. And tell Jessie and Jordan to go REVIEW!!!! (not that I can blame Jordan, at least…heh heh…I've been bad about his story.) Anyways, thanks for the reviews!

_**Amaya Mishugosha**_

_**BlackSuicideAngel (-Golden-eyed-Inuyasha-girl-)**_

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha or the song "Beat of my Heart" by Hilary Duff.

_**I'm thinking about letting it out**_

_**I wanna give in, I wanna go out**_

_**Been looking around, I've finally found**_

_**The rythym of love, the feeling of sound**_

_**It's making a change, the feeling is strange**_

_**It's coming right back, right back in my range**_

_**Not worried about anything else**_

_**I'm waking up**_

_**To the beat of my**_

_**To the beat of my**_

_**To the beat of my heart**_

Forget-Me-Not

Chapter 31

As I woke up, we were nearing the village. I could tell. The surroundings might have been different, but I could still recognize the path leading through the forest, past the tree and well and into Kaede's village.

"Mmm…Inuyasha, how long have we been traveling?"

"About a day, Kagome."

I pouted. "What, no good morning kiss?"

He smirked. "And here I thought you were mad at me." He bent down…before jerking his head back up.

"What?"

"Something's wrong."

"What's wrong?"

He took off running without any warning. "Inuyasha, where are we going?"

"Back to the village."

We arrived several moments later only to find the entire village in ruins, much like Jinenji's village was about a week ago—but this time, that battle was still raging.

Kurnai's spider form yet again stood before us, with Sango, Miroku, Sesshomaru, Rin, Saisho, several villagers who were still miraculously alive, and a girl I'd never seen before. She looked familiar…bright red hair and dog ears like Inuyasha's, but I couldn't quite place my finger on it…

And then, as I looked around, I almost fainted. I saw my Sango lying on the ground with a very distraught Tame bent over her. I couldn't see the other two.

"Kagome!!"

I turn around to see Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri hiding behind us. "Guys!"

"Kagome, we give up! This is too freaky! Take us home, take us home, take us home!!!"

I felt sorry for them. How would I tell them about our world…that they might never be able to return home? "Sorry guys, it's a long story, I'll explain in a bit, but where are Kai and Kuri?"

"They're back by the well. That's where we came from. We were trying to escape, but Kaede said we wouldn't be able to get back without you, and, well, she was right."

"Well…Inuyasha…?"

"You go stay with them. No sense in you getting hurt too."

"Hey! Are you forgetting what happened the _last_ time you went running off to fight him!?"

"No, but I have allies this time, or did _you_ forget?" I sigh. Looks like there's not much point in arguing, or any time to squabble over it.

"Fine. Go." He runs out into the battle and I take my friends back to the well, hearing the shouts of "Hiraikotsu!" and "Wind Scar!" over the explosions and distance. Once we're away, I begin to explain.

88888888

"…And so, we can't go back. At least not yet, and possibly not ever. Sorry guys. I tried."

"That's alright, Kagome, as long as we don't have to fight…"

I laugh. "Now would I really make you three do that, hmm? But if you want some fun, com back with me." I smirk.

"Fun?" They questioned simultaneously.

"Yup."

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As we reached the boarder of the forest, I scoped out the situation—Inuyasha looked a bit better off than I thought he'd be, but Sango was down now, and Miroku (who can barely fight without his Wind Tunnel) was tending to his wife. Tame was back on his feet now, readying himself next to Saisho for an attack, but my Sango was still collapsed on the ground.

"Wanna see something cool?" I knocked my bow.

The looked confused, but nod. "Kagome, we've already seen you sho-"

"But not like this, girls." I pull the arrow back and let my spiritual energy engulf it completely. "Nobody…hurts…my…daughter!"

With that I let the arrow fly, straight towards the mark on the demon's back. Kurnai roared when it hit and turned towards me. He didn't move closer, but a burst of energy started to form in front of him.

Across the battlefield, I saw Inuyasha smirk. He jumped behind me faster than Kurnai could attack.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Kurnai released his shot and at the same time, "Backlash wave!" echoed across the battlefield at the exact moment I let go of my arrow. A blast of light surrounded our opponent and we could barely make out the image of a spider running back into the woods through the massive explosion.

I turned around to look at them. "Now, did I sense a bit of doubt coming from back there?"

The smirked. "Kagome, that was amazing!" Yuka shrieked.

"Can you tech me?" I looked at Ayumi.

"We'll see. But you'll need a half-demon with a fancy sword to make it work."

She squealed. "Then I'll just have to go find one!" Everyone laughed.

"Kagome…" I looked at Inuyasha. "What about Sango?"

"Where is she!?"

"Over there. I think Tame's looking after her."

I ran off to where he'd pointed—to the ruins of Kaede's hut—with the rest of them following close behind me, but they stopped when I got there and stayed back, half watching and half trying to act like they weren't.

"What happened to her!?" I demanded as I kneeled down beside her.

Tame looked away from me. "He caught us off guard. No one even knew it was him. He just walked into the village and Kaede will give any traveler room to stay and food to eat…Okaa-san had taken Otou-san to the forest after a demon was spotted near the tree, and all of us kids were left in the hut… All the sudden, she just collapsed. None of us knew what to do, but he changed then and we didn't have time to figure it out."

"When did this happen?"

"Early the night before last. I'm sorry."

"But she hasn't been in pain?"

"No."

"And she's not dead, so… what did he do to her…?"

As I pondered this, Tame looked down, ashamed.

"What's wrong?"

"It's my fault."

"How?"

"Saisho and Sango were going to go to the river together to bathe. I know Sango hasn't been taught to defend herself, but Saisho can, so I was going to let them go alone—usually Okaa-san goes too—but I pulled Saisho back to ask her something. We heard Sango scream, and when we looked up she was on the ground."

I sigh. I've had enough of these kinds of stories. I mean, doesn't this always happen? The guy always assumes it's his fault. I can't even begin to count how many times Inuyasha's said that. And how many times have it been his fault? Umm…none?

"Tame…don't blame yourself, okay? I'm never going to blame you for harming Sango unless you, completely consciously, physically attack her yourself, which I cannot see ever happening. You sound just like Inuyasha." I giggle, despite the circumstances.

"Besides, I've seen Kurnai work before. There's nothing you could have done even if you had been standing right there, which you were, am I correct? You were just looking the other way."

He nods. "There, see? You didn't do anything to her at all. And, she's alive, which is always a plus. And if she wasn't, well, that's what we have Sesshomaru for."

He laughs, which makes me smile. "Besides, I think you are more trustworthy with Sango's life than anyone else is."

"Why? Because I'm a demon slayer?"

"No. Because you care for her just as much as I do, which is more than anyone else here could ever. Am I right?"

He blushes and I giggle again. "I'll take that as a yes. Anyways, I've got to go see the others for a bit. Can I trust you to care for her?"

He nods. "Good. And you know, you can talk to me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Stop nodding and say 'yes ma'am, of course I'll look after her'."

"Yes ma'am, of course I'll look after her."

I laugh again. "Oh, and one more thing…call me Kagome." I walk off mumbling, just loud enough for him to hear me, "and here I've always been opposed to marrying young…"

88888888

As I leave Tame, I begin to wonder where Inuyasha had run off too. Eventually, Kuri ran up to me from the forest.

"Uncle Inuyasha said that he was going to go back to your world and…"

I ran off before she could finish. When I arrived, I saw everyone in the clearing attempting to hold him back…with only Sesshomaru succeeding.

"Inuyasha, stop it this instant!" He does what I say and stares at me. "I do not need you to vanish too! How many more people do you think I want to leave me, hmm? I've had enough of depression! Now, instead of wasting your time trying to prove me wrong, why don't you come help me figure out what's wrong with Sango?!"

"She was poisoned, wasn't she?" Rin asked.

"Not the way you were. She's not in any pain—just unconscious—and she's been like this for nearly a day and a half, or so Tame said." She nodded.

Suddenly, the girl I'd noticed previously during the battle stepped forward. "Perhaps I can be of assistance…"

I looked over her more closely now. She had bright red hair tied off into pigtails with a white rose tucked into the left one, just behind one of her dog-like ears, and brilliant tree green eyes. She wore a sleeveless light green kimono that flattered her eyes and there was no a weapon on her. Then I remembered who she was.

A/N: Well, I guess this is sorta a cliffie. I tried to make it a bit obvious who Kagome thinks the newcomer is, but it might not be. Just think over the semi-minor characters of the series and you'll figure it out.

Anyways, I just had to throw in a bit of Sango/Tame. I've been planning this for ages…this was one of the first pictures I drew for this story—Sango and Tame standing next to each other blushing. lol! Of course, that picture was several years ago and had currently been ripped to shreds and discarded due to my embarrassment of their hideousness, but I'll draw them again soon.

See ya'll next time!

Midnight-Wolf


	34. Chapter 32: Motherland

A/N: here's ch. 32! Enjoy!

REVIEWERS: Thanks so much to everybody!

Amaya Mishugosha

He Who Lurks In Shadow

BlackSuicideAngel

LoonyBin08

Clouds of the Sky

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha or the song "Motherland" by Crystal Kay, the 3rd ending for FMA.

_**kimi ga tabidatsu hi wa**_

_**itsumo to onaji 'jaane' to te wo futta**_

_**marude ashita mo mata**_

_**kono machi de au mitai ni**_

_**ai wo shinjiru no wa**_

_**jibun ni mo makenai koto**_

_**yume ga kanau hi made**_

_**egao no mama hoshi wo mite inori sasage koko ni iru kara**_

_**watashi wa kimi ni totte no sora de itai**_

_**kanashimi made mo tsutsumi konde**_

_**itsudemo miageru toki wa hitori janai to**_

_**tooku de omoeru you ni**_

_**kaeru basho de aru you ni**_

_**kimi ga inai machi de**_

_**aikawarazu ni genki de sugoshiteru**_

_**sorega ima watashi ni**_

_**dekirukoto sou omoukara**_

_**donna dekigoto ni mo**_

_**kakureteru imi ga aru to**_

_**yume ga kiekaketemo**_

_**jibun rashiku ite hoshii donna toki mo koko ni iru kara**_

_**namida nakusu hodo tsuyoku nakute mo ii**_

_**tsukareta kokoro yasumasete ne**_

_**suteki na ashita wo negai nemuri ni tsuite**_

_**chiisana kodomo no you ni**_

_**kono hiroi sekai wa tsunanagatteru**_

_**shiroi kumo wa nagare kaze ni natte**_

_**kimi no moto e**_

_**watashi no koe wa todokimasuka?**_

_**afureru kimochi ienakatta**_

_**watashi wa kimi ni totte no sora de itai**_

_**kanashimi made mo tsutsumi konde**_

_**itsudemo miageru toki wa hitori janai to**_

_**tooku de omoeru you ni**_

_**kaeru basho de aru you ni**_

Forget-Me-No

Chapter 32

"Are you…Ayame?"

"No, but close!" she winked. "I'm her younger sister. But I know, we look just alike! Except for this," she pointed to the rose, "and these," she tweaked her ear. "The name's Tsuyoi, nice to meet'cha! Oh, and I'm a hanyou, but don't go telling everybody."

I laughed. "You're accent…nah, never mind, it's just me."

"My accent is American, yes?"

"Ah-me-ree-ka?" Inuyasha looked confused.

"America, Inuyasha. But…no one here knows about America yet…"

"True, true…you see, in this time, I'm not born yet. I will be in about a hundred years. Well, I'll have to tell you my story then! See, not long after Americans began traveling to Japan, most humans had forgotten that demons existed, due to most of them being destroyed. The ones with human appearances, however, eventually developed cloaking spells for demon markings, but this was before then. Most went into hiding, but Americans sometimes have red hair at birth, so I moved there. In America, I could wear a hat wherever I wanted to without being questioned. Until, that is, the cloaking spells were invented a century later. I returned to Japan and was around for a while, until I started working at a bar. There I met Hojo…"

My eyes darkened. "Well, every time I saw him, which was pretty much every night, he was drunk, and he never mentioned having a wife and daughter, so I thought he was single, and well…things kinda went from there. Not long after, he stopped coming to the bar. I went to find him and heard that his wife and daughter had 'mysteriously vanished'. So, I came to get my revenge on him for lying to me…and I couldn't find him anywhere. Next thing I knew, a cheetah appeared before me and said that he had 'gone to the past' along with you and your daughter, and she told me that I could go as well because 'that boy deserves what's coming to him'. So I showed up here about a week ago. And, that's why I'm here, but anyways, like I said, I think I can help with your problem."

"One, I should let you know that Hojo is dead. I killed him myself and yes, he did get what was coming to him. Second, by all means, come help!" I smiled at her. "Glad to have you on our side."

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We arrived back at where Sango was not long after. None of us knew what Kurnai had done to her, and none of us cared at the moment. The bigger question was "Where can we find him while he's still injured?"

And to think, just the other night I had been considering the possibility of Kurnai being a good angel after all. Now, however, there was no doubt in my mind. Kurnai _has_ to be destroyed.

"Hey kid, stop that!" I looked up to see Tame, with Sango's head resting on his lap and his hand stroking through her hair, frozen in that position as Inuyasha looked about ready to kill.

I laughed a bit. He's already acting like Sango's father. "Inuyasha, calm down."

"But he's… he's…"

"Doing nothing to harm her at all? Watching over her while we figure out what to do? He's doing nothing wrong."

"He's too young to even know what he's doing!"

All the sudden, Miroku stepped in. "I beg to differ…"

"What!? You mean to say you've had _that talk_ with him already?"

"No, Inuyasha, he means, think who's son he is!"

"Oh. But still, how old are they, six!?"

"Hey, I was fifteen! Don't even give me that 'too young' crap."

"Fifteen is nine years older!"

"Inuyasha, my point is, that people thought I was too young to be in love with you! Do you know how many times I had to hear my grandfather say that? Especially after I left for good… 'You see, Kagome, fifteen is too young to fall in love. It wouldn't have ever worked out.' and look what happened! You can never be too young to fall in love!"

"All I'm saying is he's getting rather cozy with her…"

"Hey, you should thank the stars that she isn't bent over her making out with her! He _is_ Miroku's son, after all…"

"Hey!"

"Sorry Miroku."

"Anyways, Inuyasha, don't even start with me right now. And besides, this _isn't_ the most important topic at the moment."

He sighed. "You're right…"

"Good boy."

"Hey, I'm not a dog!"

"Yes you are." Everyone laughed and I smirked at my victory.

"Anyways, Tsuyoi, let's see what you can do."

She nodded and stepped up to Sango, who had long since been abandoned so Tame could go hide behind Kagome from "That scary hanyou who has it out for me".

"Let's see…" she closed her eyes and pressed two fingers over Sango's heart. "She's poisoned, but not badly. It's very weak, and the dosage was small. Be glad for that." She pulled one of the rose petals out from behind her ear and placed it on Sango's forehead. We all watched as it vanished. "She'll be fine."

"So…you can heal people just like that?"

"No, I can heal children. More specifically, children who have been poisoned. Their hearts are pure and untainted like the white rose. The flower absorbs the poison and…" she held out her hand and the petal reappeared in her hand, only this time it was red. "…Leaves the body just like that. Then I destroy it." She held the petal up and it shattered into tiny pieces. "And she is healed."

Just then, Sango opened her eyes. She groaned. "What happened…?"

Tame rushed back over to her side. "I'm sorry, I…"

"Tame…" he looked over at me. "What did I say about that?"

"Oh, I mean, I'm glad you're safe."

Miroku turned to me. "How did you get him to do that?"

"I just told him to stop saying it was his fault and that he was starting to remind me of Inuyasha."

"Hey!"

"Hey, nothing! It's the truth!"

I turned to my daughter. "Mom, you came back."

"Yup. Did Sango and Miroku tell you about what happened?"

She nodded.

"You should thank Tame. From what I heard, he's been very worried about you. Hardly left your side, except for the last few moments of the battle."

She smiled. "Really?"

He blushed, which only made her giggle more. "Yeah…"

"Thank you."

"Alright, everyone, I think we should give them some privacy, don't you?"

Everyone but Inuyasha agreed, and we all set off to the tree where we could sit and talk.

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And now we join Tame and Sango in a fluff moment…

88888888

"Really, Tame, Thank you."

He blushed even deeper than before. "Well, I… it scared me. I thought you would die like Rin kept saying happened to her…except I wouldn't be able to save you like they could her. I'm so glad you're alive…"

Sango smiled. "I know."

"Do you?"

"I know how I would feel if you ever died. I know the feeling I get every time you go off to slay a demon for the village and I'm left to wonder if I'll ever see you again… it's scary." She sat up and scooted over a bit to lean her head on his shoulder.

Tame wrapped one arm around her. "Not nearly as scary as actually watching it happen and not being able to do anything to stop it."

"And at that, I could only imagine." Sango turned her body a bit and hugged him from the side she was on. "But I wouldn't ever want to."

He wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her closer. "Then you won't ever have to."

They stayed like that for a moment before Sango pulled away. "Tame, you always grope other girls… I just wonder… why not me? Not that I want you to start or anything, but…"

Tame cut her off. "Because to me you are like Okaa-san is to Otou-san. Only, you are too precious for me to scare away. So I don't try. Otou-san always says that he did it to other women just to see Okaa-san's reaction and he only did it to her because he 'wanted to show how much he cared'." They both laughed. "But, you should be thankful, because I am not nearly as bad as he used to be, nor do I enjoy teasing the girl I love."

"Love, Tame?"

He blushed. "Yes, love."

"Me too!" she glomped him so unexpectedly that Tame lost his balance and they both fell over, with Sango on top. They both laughed, but stayed just like that.

After a while, Sango kissed his cheek and stood up. "We should go find the others."

He agreed, and they went of to find the group.

88888888

Meanwhile, Kagome and the others had been discussing this attack…

88888888

"So we're absolutely sure that this was Kurnai?"

"Yes. He had the ability to change form, and the poison."

"But he went easy on Sango. Why?"

"Maybe because she's not a threat to him?"

"But he should want to anger us as much as possible, right?"

"It would make sense, but Tarento said he wasn't evil."

"Tarento said _he_ thinks that Kurnai is not evil. Some on the angels do."

"But that doesn't prove anything. It doesn't mean he's not evil."

"True. But he can't be truly evil, or else he _would_ have killed Sango when he had the chance."

"Well, evil or not, we still need to either kill him or persuade him to rejoin the other angels."

"But how do we do that? He's stronger than any of us."

"Any of us except Kagome."

"But I don't have the powers yet. Or at least, I don't know how to use them! Daddy said I hadn't figured out how to call them and that the angels don't know either."

"And since the angels are only the same strength and cannot harm hom, what good are they in this fight?"

"They can keep the other demons at bay long enough for us to fight Kurnai."

"They can…but we still don't know how to kill Kurnai."

"What about the jewel?"

"The jewel is pure now. It won't kill, no matter how evil the person may or may not be."

"What about sealing his evil away with it?"

"I don't think the jewel works like that. It would need a place to seal the evil energy."

"This is hopeless! How do we plan on doing this?"

"I don't know. But we need to find a way."

…and our discussion continued like this long into the night.

A/N:

Translation to the song:

_**on that day you left, I just waved good bye as usuaul**_

_**as if we were to meet again in this city**_

_**to believe in love is to not lose to myself**_

_**until my wish comes true, I'll remain with a smile**_

_**and look at the stars, praying, and will be here**_

_**I want to be the sky for you**_

_**even enveloping all of your pains**_

_**whenever I look up, I want to feel**_

_**that I'm not alone even if I'm far away**_

_**let there be a place I can return to**_

_**I'm still living happily in this city without you**_

_**because I feel that that's the one thing I can**_

_**there's a hidden meaning to all things that happen**_

_**I hope you'll remain yourself even if your dream begins to vanish**_

_**because I'll always be here**_

_**it's okay even if you're not strong enough to erase all tears**_

_**after you rest your tired heart**_

_**wish for a better tomorrow and fall asleep**_

_**like the young children**_

_**this vast world is connected**_

_**the white clouds will flow and turn into wind**_

_**will my voice reach you?**_

_**I couldn't say those overflowing feelings for you**_

_**I want to be the sky for you**_

_**even enveloping all of your pains**_

_**whenever I look up, I want to feel**_

_**that I'm not alone even if I'm far away**_

_**let there be a place I can return to**_


	35. Chapter 33: Some Hearts

A/N: hehe, I'm not in the mood to write a/n's! I think this is a first! Anyways, carry on!

Reviewers! Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Just 14 more reviews and I hit 300! happy dance

_**LoonyBin08**_

_**Amaya Mishugosha**_

_**He Who Lurks In Shadow**_

_**BlackSuicideAngel**_

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha or the song "Some Hearts" by Carrie Underwood.

_**I've never been the kind that you'd call lucky**_

_**Always stumbling' around in circles**_

_**But I must have stumbled into something**_

_**Look at me**_

_**Am I really alone with you**_

_**I wake up feeling like my life's worth living**_

_**Can't recall when I last felt that way**_

_**Guess it must be all this love you're giving**_

_**Never knew never knew it could be like this**_

_**But I guess**_

_**Some hearts**_

_**They just get all the right breaks**_

_**Some hearts have the stars on their side**_

_**Some hearts,**_

_**They just have it so easy**_

_**Some hearts just get lucky sometimes**_

_**Some hearts just get lucky, lucky sometimes**_

_**Now who'd have thought someone like you could love me**_

_**You're the last thing my heart expected**_

_**Who'd have thought I'd ever find somebody**_

_**Someone who someone who makes me feel like this**_

_**Well I guess**_

_**Some hearts**_

_**They just get all the right breaks**_

_**Some hearts have the stars on their side**_

_**Some hearts,**_

_**They just have it so easy**_

_**Some hearts just get lucky sometimes**_

_**Some hearts just get lucky sometimes**_

_**Even hearts like mine**_

_**Get lucky, lucky sometimes**_

Forget-Me-Not

Chapter 33

By morning, we still hadn't decided on what to do. All possible options had been spoken and all of them were knocked down by someone else. The conclusion? We needed the powers that I supposedly had locked within me. The powers none of us new how to harness, nor could even prove that I had. This was turning out to be a hopeless matter. At daybreak, we gave up. We were all tired from the battle and our debates, and agreed to rest and clear our minds for the time being.

For the time being, I was at the nearby hot springs relaxing, and trying to forget about the more pressing matters we should all be concerned about. Not long after, however, I noticed my daughter approaching through the trees.

"Hey." I smiled at her. "Haven't seen much of you for a while."

She laughed. "I know. You've been so busy and all…"

"Don't worry about that. After we defeat Kurnai I'll have plenty of time to spend with you."

"So…you will beat him?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, I didn't get much of what you all were talking about but…it just seems like we don't have a very good chance of winning."

I sighed as she slipped into the water and sat down next to me. "Sango…do you remember the stories I told you?"

"Of course."

"If those occurrences have taught any of us anything, it's that nothing is impossible. We all wondered…what if we never beat Naraku? What if we all died trying? Was there even a point to killing him, or to giving up our own lives for this cause? But there was. We were all determined and we needed to do it. And it worked out just fine. The truth is, we might not win. We might all die. The world might come to utter ruin no matter what we do. But we can sit back and watch it happen, or we can die trying to prevent it. Why? Because, there's always a chance that we will win. And that's why we fight."

"So what will we do?"

"We don't know yet. I suppose it is starting to sound a bit hopeless, huh? But just remember, we didn't exactly have a plan for Naraku either. We just kinda…ran into battle. That's just how Inuyasha is. And as for the rest of us…we didn't know what to do. So it was better to just try and kill him than it was to come up with some elaborate plan. Plus, with Naraku, all we had to do was get the jewel away from him, and then we'd easily overpower him."

"But it's not that easy this time."

"No, it's not. But we'll meet him head-on anyway. And even if we all die…it will be a battle that Kurnai will never forget."

"Will Tame have to fight?"

I laughed. "Sango, no one has to fight if they don't want to. I would prefer he didn't, but that's up to his mother, who will undoubtedly tell him that he has to stay behind to protect his girlfriend, am I right?"

Sango blushed. "Well…I wouldn't call it girlfriend…yet…"

"Ah, but there's always that 'yet'. And weather it's official yet or not, you know it's true."

"Yeah. But…are you mad?"

"About what?"

"About us being together. I mean, do you think we're too young? Tame said Inuyasha does…"

"Sango, I'll tell you exactly what I told Inuyasha yesterday. No one is ever too young to be in love. It's not a matter of age, or in understanding what it 'means' to love someone. Some people go their entire lives without every finding their true love, and some have known them since the moment they were born. You can be childhood friends, classmates, neighbors, or even rivals, and you meet every one of them by chance. It could even be the person standing next to you as you ride the train into town, or the person in front of you in the line at the supermarket. Some people search for their love and some let it come to them, but any way, it is by chance you meet that person as well as when and where. You could be friend when you're five and be destined for each other. Some people would be too young or too naive to understand what makes love different from friendship at that age, but it doesn't change the fact that they will fall in love, or that they already are.

"People love and lose, Sango, and sometimes you think you love someone when you really don't. Inuyasha doesn't want you to set your heart on someone only to have them break it. He knows that feeling from personal experience, and he also knows what it feels like to think you're destined for someone and, were it not for one twist of fate, you would have spent that entire life with that person. He discovered someone he loved more than Kikyo, and he wonders what would have happened if not for Naraku breaking them apart. He just doesn't want you to get hurt, but that's part of life and love. If you trust a special person with your heart, they can cherish it or they can break it in two. It's their choice what to do with it once it's theirs. But as for being too young, there's no such thing. Love comes, love goes, and love will always be somewhere, just waiting for you to find it. It's your choice how soon you start to look for it."

"But Inuyasha thinks you can be too young?"

"Inuyasha thinks that with age comes wisdom and that if you are too young you will overlook certain aspects of love and will wind up hurting yourself as you set your heart on someone and that you will be disappointed if you realize that it isn't love. That can happen no matter how old you are, though, and Inuyasha needs to realize that.

"I, however, think there's something to be said about young love…there's a purity in it that you don't find in other relationships. It's because you truly like that person for who they are. There's no lust, and no manipulation. No reason for them to use you. If you find love when you're young, I think it has a better chance of working out. You might mistake friendship for love, but then again, it might be the real thing. And if it is real, then you've saved yourself a whole lot of drama for when you're older. That's what I think.

"And now I'm rambling on again, aren't I?"

"No, you give good advice."

"You learn by experience. Your grandmother gave me the greatest advice when I was younger…I just learned how to pass it on. I don't know how many times I came home in tears, thinking that Inuyasha hated me, or that I wasn't needed in the Sengoku Jidai anymore. Mom would always sit down with me on the bench by the sacred tree and tell me stories about her and my dad. He died when I was young, so I never had a father to talk to, but Mom was always there, and she always knew just what to say to make me feel better."

"Really? Do you think she would tell me?"

I laughed. "Of course she will. And then when you get married to Tame and have a daughter, you can tell her all kinds of stories: stories about your Grandma and all that she went through, stories about your mom and her adventures with Naraku, and stories about how all of this caused you to meet the person that you love. And she will love them and say 'Really mama? Did that really happen to you?' and you'll laugh and say 'It sure did'."

"Me? Get married to Tame?"

I laughed again. "Well, it could happen. You love him, right?"

"But you and Daddy… you got married young and it didn't work out."

"I'd hardly call twenty-one a young marriage…and, I never even thought that I loved Hojo. I knew I didn't. But, I did a lot of things that I probably shouldn't have done. But, I did do one thing right."

"What's that?"

"Have you." I ruffled her wet hair (or attempted to). "But you, should get back to Tame, who is probably worried sick. Poor kid's just like Inuyasha, I swear, you'd think he was Inuyasha's son instead of Miroku's…"

"What would Inuyasha be doing?"

"Probably pacing back and forth wondering why 'that damn wench has to take so many baths' and why he hasn't heard from me in so long. Then he would assume that my silence meant that I was dead, which would have him jumping into the hot spring to 'save me' which would result in him getting sat to death by me. Just be glad Tame's not that impatient. I approve, but if that boy starts spying on you in the bath…" I hear an eep come from the bushes. "Isn't that right, Tame?"

"Hey, how'd you know I was there?"

"Just who do you take me for? I am a priestess, y'know, I can sense auras."

"Oh. But I wasn't spying on her, I was just sitting here. And I wasn't looking either!"

"Really now?"

"What, you don't believe me?"

"Look at whose son you are."

"True. But I swear I…"

"I know, I know…I can see that too. Your aura surrounds your body so if I can see that I can tell what position you're in. Now, had I seen two little eyes poking through those bushes… but I trust you. And for the record, Sango doesn't have anything worth seeing anyway."

"MOM!"

"What, I'm just kidding! You're only six; you're not supposed to have boobs yet. Now get out and go have fun with your boyfriend. And Tame…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm watching you, so don't you dare look when she gets out."

"I won't, I won't!"

"Good. Just making sure."

I laugh as I turn around and see him pouting, but facing the bushes all the same. Just as Sango gets dressed I start to hum, "here comes the bride, all dressed in white…"

"Mama!!"

A/N: Review please!

One note:

-"I'd hardly call twenty-one a young marriage…"

In Japan, 21 is not considered a young marriage. Children are able to marry of as early as 13, if they have permission from their parents because of financial aid and taxations that can be caused due to the death of close relatives. 16 is the age a woman can get married without the permission of her parents, whereas in America, the age is 18. Many women in Japan marry at this age and become housewives.


	36. Chapter 34: Keep Holding On

A/N: I apologize in advance for the suckiness of this chapter. Oh, and I made a mistake in the last chapter's a/n down at the bottom and no one caught it. Ah well, I changed it.

Reviews: Thank you!!!

_**LoonyBin08**_

_**He Who Lurks In Shadow**_

_**Amaya Mishugosha**_

Count till 300 reviews: 11

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha. Those rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media. I also don't own the 2nd half of the song "Keep Holding On" by the greatest songwriter ever, Avril Lavigne.

_**So far away, I wish you were here**_

_**Before it's too late, this could all disappear**_

_**Before the doors close, and it comes to an end**_

_**With you by my side I will fight and defend**_

_**I'll fight and defend**_

_**Keep holding on**_

_**Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through**_

_**Just stay strong**_

_**Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you**_

_**There's nothing you can say **_

_**Nothing you can do **_

_**There's no other way when it comes to the truth**_

_**So - keep holding on**_

_**Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through**_

_**Hear me when I say when I say I believe**_

_**Nothing's gonna change, nothing's gonna change destiny**_

_**Whatever's meant to be will work out perfectly**_

_**Yeeah, yeah, yeah, yeaaaah**_

_**La da da da**_

_**La da da da**_

_**La da da da da da da da da da**_

_**Keep holding on**_

_**Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through**_

_**Just stay strong**_

_**Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you**_

_**There's nothing you can say **_

_**Nothing you can do **_

_**There's no other way when it comes to the truth**_

_**So - keep holding on**_

_**Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through**_

Forget-Me-Not

Chapter 34

As I left the hot spring, I had a sneaking suspicion that something would happen very soon…but as the week went along, life returned to normal. The few remaining villagers were busy rebuilding their homes yet again, and the rest of us had given up discussion of Kurnai for the time being. We figured, if there was a strategy, it would have come to one of us by now, and our only hope was to alert the angels of the upcoming battle and fight whenever Kurnai struck again. However, as much as we tried to ignore it, a feeling of dread was settling around the village. While most tried to act as though nothing were wrong, it was not hard to sense the growing thickness in the atmosphere.

We all knew it would not be long. And so, about seven days after the attack, we gathered up our things to go find the angels…. Or try to find them. Not that we knew where they were. Our first order of business? Let Inuyasha try his 'brilliant' plan, mainly so he'd shut up and stop whining…

"HEY, WOLF LADY! GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE NOW OR WE'RE LEAVING WITHOUT YOU!!! OH, AND BRING YOUR ANNOYING FRIENDS!!!"

We just stared in amazement as Inuyasha jumped around screaming and yelling. "Inuyasha… I believe you're referring to Tsuki… and stop being so mean!"

"We don't owe them anything!"

"Ummm…yeah we do. I seem to recall them saving your life…and besides, do you really think they're gonna show up with you fussing all over the place like that? No!"

"Fine, you do it then!"

"Fine! I will!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Shut up!"

"Well if she'd hurry up and call the stupid animals…"

"Inuyasha… have I ever informed you of the many uses of duct tape?"

"What the hell is duck-tape!"

"Remind me to show you when all this is over.

"And they're not animals, they're angels!"

"No, I saw them! They're A-N-I-M-A-L-S!!! See, there are a wolf and a cheetah and a centaur and a unicorn and an angel! ONE of them is an angel, Kagome, count them! One!"

"And two more are entirely mythological, or have you forgotten that yet? How many times do you see a unicorn while strolling through the forest?"

"And what does that prove!?"

"Those aren't their normal forms, stupid! They do _that_ to blend in."

"So how does a unicorn blend in?!"

"How should I know!? Why don't you go ask Daddy yourself!"

"Because we don't know where he is!"

"We'd have solved that five minutes ago if you'd call them normally!"

"Well how would I go about doing that, hmmm?"

I sigh. "Fine, repeat after me then."

"Fine, repeat after me then."

"Don't be smart."

"Don't be smart."

"Inuyasha…"

"Inuyasha…"

"I need an Advil."

"I need an Ad-veel."

"My name is Inuyasha and I'm very stupid."

"My name is Inuyasha and…HEY!"

"Well you are."

"Well you are."

"Kagome…? I think you should just call the angels and leave this idiot for later."

"Eh, I suppose you're right."

"Eh, I suppose you're right."

sigh

overly dramatic sigh

"ASSARI, TUSKI, TSUCHI, SAN, AND TARENTO!"

"ASSARI, TUSKI, TSUCHI, SAN, AND TARENTO!"

"I APPOLOGIZE FOR BEING AN IDIOT…"

"I APPOLOGIZE FOR…Hey!"

"Do you want them to come or not?"

"Fine. I APPOLOGIZE FOR BEING AN IDIOT…"

"WE NEED YOU HERE TO HELP WITH THE FINAL BATTLE AGAINST KURNAI!"

"WE NEED YOU HERE TO HELP WITH THE FINAL BATTLE AGAINST KURNAI!"

"There, that's all I can think of to say."

"Can I stop repeating everything you say now?"

Someone in the background spoke up. "Kagome…?"

"Not now! And yes, Inuyasha, _please_ stop repeating everything I say."

"But Kagome!"

"I said NOT NOW!!!"

I was about to go off on Inuyasha yet again, when I saw a familiar burst of light. Not long after, Assari emerged from the flash.

"Well, I see you've managed to find us…while alerting the whole world of our whereabouts…"

"Hey, now, what else were we supposed to do!? It's not like you left us directions!"

"True, but I'm not in the mood to listen to _you_ right now…"

"Why not?"

"One, because you are insulting and rude. Two, I owe you nothing. Three, Kagome is the only one we need for this battle. And four, I think you two could stop bickering long enough to figure out that something is wrong in the group."

We both looked over at the same time, only to find little Sango yet again on the ground.

"What happened to her now?!"

"Well, she just kinda… fell over…"

"Well why didn't anyone say anything!?"

"Ummm…we tried… and you told us to leave you alone…"

"Oh. Ooops. Well, now what do we do? Is she poisoned again?"

"How is that possible? Tsuyoi got rid of all the poison."

"It might be something else as well. Remember, I can only remove light poisons. Makes sense when you think about it…why do absolutely nothing to her? I mean, why would he have poisoned her if he were going to let her live? Besides, he did absolutely nothing to her aside from making her pass out for a day. Since when does the worst demon we've ever faced leave survivors?"

It makes sense when you put it like that… "So then what do we do about it? We don't even know what it is that's wrong with her now."

Finally, Assari stepped forward. "Kurnai can do many things, both with weapons and poisons. However, it's safe to say that once he's targeted you, it's over. The kid probably won't live much longer, whatever this is. I'd give it a week maybe. The only way to reverse what we don't know anything about is to get Kurnai himself to release her from it. That gives us two choices. One, convince him that he's being evil and get him to reverse it willingly, which I doubt would ever happen, or two, kill him so his magic disappears."

"So those are our choices then?"

"Pretty much."

"Well then, let's go kill him and get this over with." Inuyasha growled.

"Inuyasha, we don't even know where he is."

"So? That's what she's here for, isn't it?"

"Just because I'm an angel doesn't mean I know where he is. We need a plan of action."

"We have a week, at the most, to go kill some demonic angel and save my daughter's life! Do you expect me to just sit around here and wait for you to come up with a plan? We stayed up all night a week ago trying to figure this out and what'd we come up with? Nothing!"

"Kagome, calm down. We'll think of something."

"No! I'm tired of waiting. I'm going right now. Come on, Inuyasha. The rest of you can come or stay. And Assari, you might wanna go tell the other angels cuz when I get done with him this time, there won't be anything left to fight."

And with that I stomped off with Inuyasha in a tow.

88888888

Onlooker's POV

88888888

Assari sighed. "This isn't going to work. They're going to die like this and then who'll we have?"

"Ummm… Assari? I don't think they're gonna die too easily." Shippo stated.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, Kagome gets scary when she's angry…"

"At Inuyasha maybe…but what about Kurnai?" Sango asked.

"Oh trust me. You guys remember when Sango stole Tetsusaiga and took it to Naraku?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Kagome got really mad at Naraku…and she almost killed him! Right then and there! Just barely left him alive. She couldn't have done that normally."

"He's right." Miroku pointed out. "Kagome never learned how to fully control her powers. Whenever she got mad at anything, she was a force to be reckoned with. That arrow was filled with more hatred for Naraku than anyone thought possible for sweet, innocent Kagome. But with the anger she's feeling now combined with her possible attack strength, I don't think we have anything to worry about with her and Kurnai. What bothers me is all the other creatures Kurnai has on his side. Kagome and Inuyasha can't take on everything alone."

"So what do we do?"

"Rin will escort the children back to Kaede's village and keep them safe there. Sango, Tsuyoi, and I will take Kilala and search from the skies, and Sesshomaru should be able to find them quickly enough on foot. Assari, Kagome's right. Go warn the other angels. We'll need all the help we can get."

A/N: Once again, I must apologize for that piece of work. I had rookie camp for band again last night and after a very stressful ride down there, I got home and went straight to sleep (cuz I'd been up till 5 the previous morning and had to get up early to go find a job. Sigh. Nobody wants to employ me…) then, I woke up around 1:30 in the morning and started freaking out cuz I still hadn't written this, and yeah. So the majority of this was written last night, and all of that is…yeah, stupid.

On a happier note…I got section leader along with my friend Jessi in band last night!! Since I wasn't updating then, you all didn't get to hear my rant (on this story anyways…Jordan and Jessie both heard it) on Jill's evil dictatorship over the clarinet section last year. I'm not going to go into it, but last year, who got to be section leader was determined by who got 1st chair in that section. Let's just say… Jill isn't the kind of person you want leading over you. So me and Jessi, 3rd and 2nd chair, decided that when chair tryouts came along, we were both gonna beat Jill. Jessi would be 1st and section leader cuz she'd be great at it, and I'd be second so I could still sit next to Jessi, and Jill would be 3rd at the highest. We didn't even care if she challenged us and beat it back up to the top. All she needed was a smack in the face to tell her that she's not God's gift to the clarinet section. But, we failed. Now, however, Jessi and I are both section leaders and Jill is senior representative, which means she has no power over us juniors whatsoever. Muahahahahahahahahaha!!!!! That makes me very happy.

Anyways, Tomorrow is Saturday, but I'm not sure if I'll get the chapter typed up or not, and Sunday depends on if my parents decide we're all going to see Spiderman 3 or not. So, I'll try to get the next chapter, which is guaranteed to be better than this one (this was a filler. I just needed a reason for Kags to rush blindly into battle), up on Sunday, but no promises. I will try for Monday, but it'll definitely be up before Tuesday.

_**Midnight-Wolf**_


	37. Chapter 35: Rewrite

A/N: here I am again. Sorry I didn't update on Tuesday like I said I would (it's because I'm a liar, see? j/k). No, see, up before Tuesday, I got lazy. Actually, a few days ago, I ran out of Cardcaptor Sakura fanfiction on and so I went kinda crazy looking for fluff and it cost me a couple days. The on Tuesday I wasn't feeling to well and so I busied myself by watching _The Notebook_ twice and then going to bed again. Then yesterday I was being lazy so deal with it. j/k. but hey, I updated today which is a whole lot better than a year from now, isn't it?

Anyways, I dunno when I'll be able to update again. See, tomorrow I'm going to my friend's b-day party that I believe is over-night now…maybe…I dunno. So that takes out tomorrow and Saturday. Sunday I might be able to, depending on how tired Jessie gets me over the other 2 days, but Monday… drumroll I got a job! So now I have to work on Monday, and I don't know my work schedule yet, so who knows after Monday? But as soon as I get some time off (which shouldn't be too long) I'll work on the remaining chapters, which there aren't a lot of. Maybe two or three chapters more at the most and then it's DONE!!! HORAY!!! Then I get to go back and edit it all together better, and then it will be done and I'll never have to type another thing on it ever again! Lol. Not that I don't enjoy writing it, but I'm getting very tired of it.

Onward to REVIEWS!!:

_**Minase NaNami Hirodoshi**_

_**Amaya Mishugosha**_

_**LoonyBin08**_

_**BlackSuicideAngel**_

He Who Lurks In Shadow 

Thank you guys!

Countdown to 300: 5 more reviews::huggles reviewers:: I luff u guys!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha or the song "REWRITE" by KUNG FU GENERATION. The translation is at the bottom, like usual.

_**kishin da omoi o hakidashitai no wa**_

_**sonzai no shoumei ga ta ni nai kara**_

_**tsukan da hazu no boku no mirai wa**_

_**"songen" to "jiyuu" de nujun shiteru yo**_

_**yugan da zazou o keshi saritai no wa**_

_**jibun no genkai o soko ni miru kara**_

_**jiishiki kajou no boku no mado ni wa**_

_**kyonen no KARENDAA hidzuke ga nai yo**_

_**keshite RIRAITO shite**_

_**kudaranai chou gensou**_

_**wasurarenu sonzai kan o**_

_**kishikaisei**_

_**RIRAITO shite**_

_**imi no nai mousou mo**_

_**kimi o nasu dendouryoku**_

_**zenshin zenrei o kure yo**_

_**mebaete ta kanjou kitte kuyan de**_

_**shosen tada bonyou shitte naite**_

_**kusatta kokoro o**_

_**usugitanai uso o**_

_**keshite RIRAITO shite**_

_**kudaranai chou gensou**_

_**wasurarenu sonzai kan o**_

_**kishikaisei**_

_**RIRAITO shite**_

_**imi no nai mousou mo**_

_**kimi o nasu dendouryoku**_

_**zenshin zenrei o kure yo**_

A while back, Sesshomaru, Tsuyoi, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo found us. They knew what we planned on doing, however, and left it at that, leaving Inuyasha and me glad they didn't start an argument. We still couldn't find him, not that that surprised us. It is annoying though, like he's just vanished without a trace. I was starting to get the feeling that it would be better to sit down and wait for him to come to us like he usually does. That was, of course, right before we found him.

He was waiting for us, on higher ground than we were, alone. He stood up over the hill as if waiting for us to attack. That alone made us more skeptical of what would take place that day. It was almost like he was laughing at us. Needless to say, we didn't attack just then. It was like the stare downs in those old western movies, except neither side circled the other. We just stood there and waited for his attack.

No one remembered how long we stared at Kurnai. Time seemed irrelevant. I do know that sometime during this silence, Inuyasha dropped the jewel into my hand. "This might help. You could always wish him gone."

I sighed. "Inuyasha, wishing him gone will seal him and his magic away. We want him either alive and willing to help or completely dead, preferably, the latter."

It might come in handy though, I realized. I had forgotten we had the jewel on our list of assets. And so, I put it around my neck…just in case.

I was broken out of thought by Kurnai's laughter. "You think the seven of you can defeat me?"

I smirked as I saw a red light flash across the sky, symbolizing Assari's return. The other angels would be with her.

"Oh, sorry. The seven of you and one useless angel." He shielded his eyes as though preparing for the blast of light that would follow her landing.

It took a while. We were all starting to wonder when she was going to pop up. It had taken longer than usual… and then, a bright flash of light appeared from the other side of the hill Kurnai was standing on.

We stood, wondering what in the world she was doing, until we heard Tsuchi's horn rise through the silence. Next, San and Tsuki growled so furiously the ground shook, and finally, I saw the explosion caused from Dad's attack.

Kurnai snarled and his human form shifted into what is quite possibly the largest serpentine dragon ever in existence. It could easily have wrapped around ten buildings were it in my era. As if its completely black form and massive size weren't enough, the enormous dragon opened its mouth and shot a blast of blue energy straight through the forest and we watched as the ground exploded around where the blast hit. (A/N: if anyone has seen Fushigi Yuugi, think of Seiryu when he appears in the 2nd-to-last episode).

It seemed as though time stopped as we starred up at the monstrous sight. This scene in itself seemed to pour doubt in our minds at defeating something so gigantic, let alone whatever other demons were lurking behind the hill fighting off the angels. But we all knew that this being was for Inuyasha and me to deal with.

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo flew off to the left on Kilala as Sesshomaru and Tsuyoi jumped to the right, dodging around the beast to help with the minor demons. The angels had chased the demons up over the top of the hill, in full view of us, and we were able to see the massacre taking place. Angels were everywhere and blasts of energy were being shot in all directions, sending demons through the air at random. It was quite the scene to witness.

The sights and sounds of the battle before us were drowned out again as Kurnai roared and shot another blast of energy straight up into the sky, dragging our attention back to our own battle.

"Inuyasha…?"

"Yeah?"

"Got any ideas?"

His silence indicated his answer. There wasn't much we could do about this. The idea of his abilities never even came close to this creature.

Inuyasha pulled out Tetsusaiga and shot a wind scar at him, as if experimenting with his opponent, and as we expected, the massive dragon didn't seem to even feel the blast.

Amidst our thoughts on what to do, we faintly heard Tsuchi's horn sound again, but paid it no heed as Inuyasha sent another wind scar toward our enemy. An explosion in the sky caused us to divert our attention away from the attack, not even seeing it ricochet off Kurnai's scales.

We looked just in time to see another massive dragon, green this time and not nearly as huge as Kurnai, shoot out of the blast, followed by an eagle, a dolphin, and a stag. We would have questioned a flying dolphin, though it was obvious that these were the four deceased angels. They were all slightly transparent and glowed brightly against the sky.

Kaji flew over to us as the other three descended into the massive chaos of the battle below. His eyes glowed a shining red as fire seemed to shoot out of his entire body, straight at Kurnai. Within seconds, the immense dragon was engulfed in flames that were fueled as Cooksey shot blasts of wind into the blaze.

He looked over at us. "You know, that won't hold him for long…it'll only distract him. If you're going to do something, now would be the time."

"But what can we do?"

"You're the priestess, right?"

I nod.

"Then use your powers!"

"I don't know how!"

"What'd'ya mean you don't know how!?"

"I mean I don't know how."

He sighed. "Fine, we'll yell at you for your stupidity later. Close your eyes and focus on Kurnai."

88888888

Outsider's POV

88888888

Inuyasha watched as Kagome did exactly what Kaji had instructed and stepped back as a massive pink light erupted and completely surrounded her.

"What just happened to her?"

"She'll explain it later, I'm sure. As for you, I believe you're needed over there." Kaji pointed to the ongoing battle."

"But what about Kagome?" He turned to look at her and saw nothing. Kagome was gone, as was the light. The jewel was all that remained, though it floated up into the sky and seemed to vanish in the light.

"She'll be fine, now go!"

"When will she come back?"

"Would you shut up and go help the others? Cooksey and I will keep Kurnai busy and protect her when she returns, now go!"

Inuyasha reluctantly ran off to the battle, only looking back once.

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Kagome's POV

88888888

I did as he said and felt myself immediately engulfed in my spiritual aura. I felt it grow and grow until the light was so bright I couldn't see any darkness, even with my eyes closed as they were. The sounds of the battle drowned out and I opened my eyes to find myself no longer on a battlefield. Instead I was floating in mid-air, surrounded by my light-pink aura.

Just as I began to wonder what I was supposed to do here, a white flash erupted. There stood a girl I had only seen once, as a statue no less. Midoriko opened her eyes just as a light purple flare shot up and out stepped Kikyo. The real Kikyo.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"You still wonder that? You're inside the Shikon no Tama." Midoriko answered. "We, your older sisters, came before you to protect the jewel and as such, when we die, our spirits remain within it."

"But I'm not…"

"You're not dead, we know. But there is something you need to do. Something we should have done but couldn't."

"You don't have much time," Kikyo stated. "You must return and kill him."

"But how?"

"Just trust us. When the time is right, you will return and we will help you with the task at hand."

88888888

Onlooker's POV (again)

88888888

The battle had been raging for hours, and the seemingly infinite number of demons just kept coming. The angels, after using their powers so continuously, were running out of strength. There was not much more they could do.

Every so often, Inuyasha would look over to where Kagome had disappeared, though she was never there. He was starting to wonder just where she was and how much longer she was going to take.

After a while, Kaji and Cooksey had relinquished guard duty to Mizu and Tenka who proceeded to freeze parts of the enormous dragon, making it harder for him to move. It was obvious though, that they were using up a lot of strength doing nothing but keeping Kurnai at bay. Everyone now knew that the angels could do no harm to one of their own.

Inuyasha jumped as Tsuchi sent yet another earthquake out into the hoards of demons and noted how much weaker the attack seemed to be.

Looking toward the others he noticed that Tsuki and San had run out of magical strength and could only fight one opponent at a time with their temporary bodies. It was obvious that they were both growing weary from the numerous wounds they received from being in such close proximity with their opponents. Tarento had given up using his massive attack in favor of another less destructive and tiring method of extending the length of his horn, and as far as Inuyasha had seen, Assari could only produce barriers and send monsters flying backward, doing them no harm except the damage they received from the landing.

Kaji and Cooksey were the only ones still going strong, one flaming down hundreds of demons with one blast and the other creating colossal whirlwinds farther down so as not to hit any comrades.

Miroku, it seemed, had run out of sutras a while ago and was currently trying to help with his staff, though not helping very much. Kilala was over with San and Tsuki fighting one demon at a time. It seemed that Sango's arms had finally given out from catching Hiraikotsu for the millionth time and she had settled to using her katana. Tsuyoi was living up to her name as she would jump quickly into the debris left from Kurnai's blasts, pick up gigantic rocks, and toss them at her opponents. Sesshomaru was still fighting well, as one would expect, and Inuyasha himself was doing just fine. That whole thing about Tetsusaiga being able to take out a hundred demons with the wind scar… that was coming in handy.

This strength meant nothing, however, against the continuous amount of demons that charged forth. And just as Inuyasha began to think it was hopeless, a massive light covered the area. It reached out past everyone, even Cooksey, and as it faded, the comrades noticed that every demon within that radius had turned to dust right then and there. More would come, they knew, but this gave them time to rest and watch as a glowing Kagome descended from the sky with power completely encircling her. It was quite a sight, especially as they noticed she was holding the jewel.

Both Midoriko and Kikyo appeared on either side of Kagome and took her hands in theirs. The free hands, Midoriko's left and Kikyo's right, stretched out in front of them and all of the power surrounding the three of them went directly to those two hands. Everyone could sense the immense power coming from the two blasts and demon, human, and angel alike all held their breath waiting to see what the three priestesses would do.

Mizu and Tenka left Kurnai's side then, waiting for the blast to come and trying to avoid getting struck with it themselves. Kurnai shattered the remaining ice left on his massive body and roared, opening his mouth to release another all-powerful blast at the three who dared to oppose him.

As he released his blast, Midoriko let the blast in her hand go, straight at the blue light. As the two attacks combined, they exploded into dazzling multi-colored lights that flew out across the sky just as the bystanders watched Kikyo release her blow of power straight into the rainbow of brightness.

They all watched as the lights turned into a single beam that shot straight up into the air. The beam split in half and shot out each direction, one toward a screaming Kurnai and the other right at the three priestesses.

"INUYASHA!!!!!"

As though he had foreseen the danger, Inuyasha was there in an instant.

"Backlash Wave!"

In an immense whirlwind, the flash was sent towards Kurnai, hitting him only seconds after the first.

The evil dragon threw his head back and let out one final scream as the crowd watched another dragon emerge from the original one so that two of these colossal creatures were side by side. One was pure black and it roared and writhed in the sky, evoking pure terror from the onlookers. The other was light blue in color and looked majestic and peaceful, especially given what it was compared to.

Kagome then took up her bow and shot an arrow straight into the dark dragon, causing it to be surrounded in a faint pink aura. The light seemed to compact the demon as the darkness became smaller and smaller until nothing was left but a tiny black speck that shot straight into the sacred jewel.

The jewel, now tainted, glowed pure black for all of two seconds before Kagome used her remaining strength to purify the jewel completely.

She sank down onto her knees and starred at the jewel.

"Well, I guess that's one was to vanquish a demon…"

A/N: And there you have the infamous battle scene finally all typed up on virtual paper. Tell me what you think, k?

There are probably two or three chapters left on this story, and I'm sorry but do not be counting on a sequel. Actually, you guys are lucky I'm even finishing this story. I have, however, had some ideas about turning this into an actual novel-like book. It probably won't ever be published or anything, but I've already given everyone alternate names and stuff, so someday when I'm done with all my other fanfics I'm gonna sit down and redo this entire story so it has nothing to do with Inuyasha because frankly it's gotten a little out of hand for a fanfic. So, if something shows up on fictionpress or something later, don't sue whoever stole my idea cuz that would be me.

Anyways, I can't remember if I mentioned this earlier or not, but Tsuyoi means strength if any of you were confused about that living up to her name bit.

Wow, I'm in a Fushigi Yuugi mood today. I put in that dragon thing and about every time I typed "Tsuyoi" I put "Noriko" instead because they have the same powers…sigh…I miss that series. I even went back and rewatched the 2nd to last episode so I could see Seiryu again… y'know, that is the coolest picture with that massive dragon wrapped around all those buildings…wow. I mean, I know Seiryu is supposed to be the "bad god" in that storyline, but Seiryu has to be the coolest. Except for the Seiryu Seven…wow they creepy. Esp. Nakago. And the one with the illusions and the feathers. shudder he more creepy. Ok, I'll shut up about Fushigi Yuugi now.

…

…

…

::singing:: "Miagare…Suzaku…Miracle la…"

ok, I'm done for real now.

_**Translation to REWRITE, the best FMA opening there is,**_

_**Wanting to spit out the jarred thoughts is**_

_**Because there's no other proof of my existence**_

_**My future that I should've grabbed hold is**_

_**Conflicting between "dignity" and "freedom"**_

_**Wanting to erase the distorted afterimage is**_

_**Because I'll see my limit over there**_

_**In the window of the excessively self-conscious me**_

_**There are no dates in last year's calendar**_

_**Erase and rewrite**_

_**The pointless ultra-fantasy**_

_**Revive**_

_**The unforgettable sense of being**_

_**Rewrite**_

_**The meaningless imagination**_

_**The driving force that creates you**_

_**Give it your whole body and soul**_

_**After cutting my feelings that grew, I regret**_

_**After realizing that after all, I'm just a mediocrity, I cry**_

_**A depressed heart**_

_**A dirty lie**_

_**Erase and rewrite**_

_**The pointless ultra-fantasy**_

_**Revive**_

_**The unforgettable sense of being**_

_**Rewrite**_

_**The meaningless imagination**_

_**The driving force that creates you**_

_**Give it your whole body and soul**_


	38. Chapter 36: I'm Taking You With Me

A/N: Gomen nasai, minna-san! It sure has been a while since I updated, ne? well, I have been massively busy lately, and believe it or not I've wanted to sit down and write this for some time, but have barely even had time to sleep these days, let alone sit at a computer for five hours and type the ending to my story. But, here I am, forcing myself to! (I hope I can update again on Wednesday night, though I'm not sure how well that'll work out.

First off, I've got my job. I'm working at Claire's and wow, as much as I love it, I have NO time. Seriously, my boss is really nice about letting me have time off whenever I need it, but I can't say, "Can I have such and such Saturday off? I need to write my fanfic…" Haha, no. Plus, it's the holiday season, so we're swamped on Saturdays until after December.

Second, I'm now taking a college class for a credit sponsored by the local community college and it's getting hectic. I have a lot less homework and a lot more "study or fail" stuff. Har har. I love the class though; it's so much fun!

Aside from that, I have a 2nd block class that takes up a large majority of my free time, and then there's band, which I've been practicing like mad for since concert band started. Me and Jessi are going to beat Jill this year, and we're both going to make it into Senior Clinic!

Even though these things mean sacrificing valuable fanfic-writing, manga-reading, and anime-watching time, I'm actually very happy to be doing them. Anyways, because of these, I can't guarantee any time that I'll be able to update until the semesters switch in mid-January, but like I said, I will try to find motivation in my down time to finish this. I only have two more chapters and a possible epilogue to go, so bear with me, onegai!

But just for the record, I still find time for anime… just recently I've gotten into Ouran High School Host Club… ::dies from fluff:: it's so amazingly great! And I'm even more obsessed with Tamaki, as people at my school could tell you, especially Jessi who watches me doodle his name on a regular basis. Occasionally its followed by a "::hearts:: Haruhi" too. Tamaki rocks. Actually, I have a stuffed doggie named Tamaki sitting right here with me and it's all his fault that I'm updating, so be sure to thank him.

To my reviewers!

Thank you all so, so much! I got so many reviews for this last chapter, waaaaay more than I expected, and I have definitely cracked 300, so I huggle you all! You guys are amazing and I would have forgotten about this story long ago if it weren't for the reviews left in my e-mail inbox that I have to see every time I go to delete some more spam from who knows where. So thank you all so much! Because of you, I'm actually going to finish this story, and even revise it! har har…but I can do that at school, so no worries.

Many Thanks To:

_MademoiselleGabrielle_

_'insert insult here' _

_alittlesecrethidden123_

LoonyBin08 

_Jarvis the hanyou_

_BlackSuicideAngel_

_Amaya Mishugosha_

_Kagome 717_

Thanks to those of you who reviewed on several chapters as well.

And Many, Many thanks to **Kagome 717** for not only reviewing on several different chapters, but also for being my 300th reviewer! Thank you so much, sweetie! I love you!

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Inuyasha, obviously, and I'm actually glad I don't cuz if I did I'd never get around to writing an ending. **;D** I also don't own the song "I'm Taking You With Me", even though it's a totally great song (hopeless romantic XD) because Reliant K does. Seriously, guys, this'll be the last time the song doesn't fit the chapter. I've been looking and looking and have loads of ideas for the rest of the chapters but couldn't find anything to fit this except for "Waka Laka" (which doesn't exactly fit, but I thought it'd be funny), but I really don't feel like messing with spell-check right now.

_**I made a habit of never making promises**_

_**That aren't easy to keep**_

_**There you have it, but now I make you one that is:**_

_**To keep you here with me**_

_**Cause every second that goes by**_

_**I feel is just a waste of time**_

_**If I'm not with you**_

_**If home is where the heart is**_

_**Then my home is where you are**_

_**But it's getting oh so hard to spend these days without my heart**_

_**So I'm taking you with me**_

_**Anywhere that I could ever wanna go**_

_**For the rest of my life**_

_**I want you there with me**_

_**And if there ever comes a time**_

_**When I should have to leave**_

_**I hope you know that I**_

_**I'm taking you with me.**_

Forget-Me-Not

Chapter 36

"Well, that's one way to vanquish a demon…"

I sigh. That took up a lot more energy than I've used before, but it was at least worth it. And would you look at that…we finally get to see the real Kurnai, huh? I smile. "Cool."

"Cool?" And I'm brought back down to reality.

"What'd ya say, Inuyasha?"

"Kagome, you look kinda out of it…are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah…I'm fine Inuyasha…just a bit…tired…is…all…" And with that my vision leaves me.

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Inuyasha's POV

88888888

"Kagome! What happened to her now?" I was panicking now. Not that I don't have every reason to be. I just finished fighting the battle of a lifetime and watched my girlfriend pass out at my feet.

"Well, she did just use a large amount of power, which she obviously isn't used to, having not even used her powers normally more than five times in the past ten years…She's just tired, Inuyasha, so let her rest. I'm sure she'll tell you everything once she has a good sleep." Assari had appeared from the wreckage.

I turned and watched the dragon blow a burst of energy over the hill and almost laughed as the petty demons went scurrying away in all directions. Stupid weaklings. The only work well in numbers…but my attention is brought back to the dragon.

"Hey Assari…what's with that?" I point to the dragon, but he answers first.

"How rude. I should have thought it would be obvious. I am Kurnai."

"But Kurnai was black. He was destroyed just now."

"Oh, that one. Yes, he was a bit troublesome, wasn't he? But I assure you, I am the real Kuragari. I'm sure the priestess will explain everything to you later, but for now, we should probably head to a better shelter than this."

I hoist Kagome up on my back like I used to all those years ago…funny…it doesn't seem like it's been that long at all anymore. But, the battle's finally over, and it's about time to start again.

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Kagome's POV

88888888

As I wake up, I notice everyone is sitting around me. It's strange. Everyone's here and unharmed. Even my daughter sits next to me, looking better than ever. I smirk as I see her head resting on Tame's shoulder.

Everyone's fine. Even after all this…so much more than Naraku ever was and yet not close at all to the number of fatalities we saw all those years ago…but then I notice more than a few strange faces among the crowd. It seems the angels have all taken human shape for the time being.

I notice one, however, who stands out from the crowd. Yup, he's exactly the same as he used to be. I smile and sit up…and latch onto him. "It's nice to see you again, Daddy."

He looks shocked, probably that I remember what he looked like. After all, he disappeared about six months after Souta was born. But he's the same as he was back then, and I finally realized that he's been right there, watching from the start. I never had two fathers, it was always Tarento.

"You just saw me yesterday, Kagome." He smirks. "But I suppose it's nice to know that my daughter misses me this much…"

"And what about me?" I turn to see Inuyasha giving me the cutest little puppy face I've ever seen! (The sad thing is, I doubt he was doing it on purpose.)

"Of course I missed you too Inuyasha. But I thought you'd be too embarrassed to have me latch onto you in public like this…" I giggled as I watched him try to respond, and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "You know you're cute when you pout?"

"I'm not cute."

"Whatever you say…" I then turned to Sango.

"And I'd hug my wonderful daughter, too, but it seems she's too caught up in her new-found love life." I giggle as I watch her blush. "And how old are you, Sango? Shouldn't I be preventing this apparently serious relationship before we have six-year-olds becoming parents?" At that, everyone laughs, especially at the look Miroku is getting from his wife…and then at the slap that sounds throughout the hut.

"Ah, Sango, it's been too long…"

"Shut it! I won't have you encouraging _my_ children to be like _you_!"

We laugh again, glad we can all finally relax.

88888888

A Few Hours Later…

88888888

The night continued on in much the same way. We joked and ate and completely forgot the events of the past couple months. It was…nice. And simple and fun. Soon, however, the kids were in bed, and many of the angels had left to seek shelter for the night, finding the small hut to be too cramped. I found myself, however, finally speaking face to face with Kurnai, just outside the hut. We were quiet for a bit, and I could almost see Inuyasha sitting just on the other side to the wall, listening to our conversation, or lack there-of.

"Shall we take a walk?"

I nodded. As we left however, I could hear Inuyasha shuffling to his feet and I added as an afterthought, "And we should go alone. I can take care of myself after all." I could almost hear the grumble-mutter coming from my 'protector', but nevertheless, he stayed put.

As we distanced ourselves from the village, he spoke again.

"I should thank you for releasing me."

"I suppose you should."

"And I should apologize for the trouble I caused you…"

"That too…"

"I guess everyone just wanted me dead."

"Well, I suppose that would have been the ideal solution. It certainly would have been a lot easier on my powers. But no one deserves to die without reason."

"I'm sure you had plenty of reasons."

"Not as many as you might think." I stop walking and look up at his human face. It's beautiful. Just like when I saw him before—same short hair, bony complexion, and dark eyes—although his hair was now blonde instead of black. "Sure you killed a lot of people, and _almost_ killed my daughter and my boyfriend's brother's girlfriend on several occasions, but I've seen worse, y'know."

"Worse?"

"Your destruction wasn't nearly as bad as Naraku's."

"But I created Naraku."

"_You_ didn't. The darkness did. The darkness that _is_ dead. It consumed you, and that's nothing against your character as an angel. You simply lost your control for a bit. It happens to everyone, no matter how powerful we are. At least you confronted it."

"How?"

"You never gave into evil. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here. It's impossible to take good out of someone like Naraku, who didn't have a single shard of virtue in his entire being. You, on the other hand, never submitted to the power. You may not have been in control, but you were always there, which makes it quite simple to separate the two essences. If you had been completely corrupt, our powers wouldn't have succeeded in dividing you and we would have just had to resort to plan two."

"And what was plan two?"

"To kill you, obviously. It's a good thing that wasn't necessary, now isn't it."

I smirk up at him.

"Thank you. Really. No one else would have spared my life for a second."

"But I'm Kagome. Not anyone else. So I guess you don't have to worry. But really, I should be thanking you."

"And why is that?"

"You see, had you never become evil, I wouldn't have even been born. And if there were a Higurashi Kagome alive, she definitely wouldn't have would up falling down a well and falling in love with the adorable yet temperamental hanyou she found there. And even if all of that had happened to me, I never would have been able to come back here after running away."

"I didn't know you ran away."

"Well, I'm not exactly proud to admit it or anything, but yeah, I did run away. And no matter how much I wanted to, I could have never returned if it weren't for you."

"And why is that?"

"I was only able to pass through the well because I had a duty here in this time—a duty to destroy Naraku and save the world from your darkness. I completed the first and ran away. Because I thought it was the Shikon no Tama that allowed me to pass through the well, I always assumed that I could never return, having left the jewel here, with Inuyasha. But San, my mother, kept the path open for me so I could return, solely to confront you. I don't know how the portal will work from now on, but regardless, you deserve my thanks."

He looks down at me. "Well, I guess that makes us even."

I scoff as I turn on my heel. A few steps away, I turn my head back over my shoulder, smirking at his shocked expression. "I guess it does."

88888888

A Little While Later…

88888888

After we returned to the hut (and an extremely worried hanyou), Kuragari bid farewell to us for the night. My night, however, was not over yet, as I still needed to speak with Inuyasha. After all, I knew he had questions. So after a quick check-over on the kids, I left Rin in charge of them as Inuyasha and I snuck out of the hut. We walked aimlessly throughout the forest, and after a long, yet peaceful silence, he finally spoke.

"So…what happened? During the battle, I mean. You were so…different."

"Well, I did what Kaji told me to do. I closed my eyes and next thing I know I'm inside the jewel."

"Inside?"

"Yup. Kikyo and Midoriko explained that when the guardians of the jewel die, their souls remain in the jewel to continue watching over it."

"So what happened to them?"

"Well, I guess since the jewel was finally purified, they were able to move on and rest in peace."

"So…Kikyo's really dead now."

"Inuyasha…she's been dead. For a long time."

He sighs and nods. "So anyway, what happened inside the jewel?"

"We talked. They explained about the powers we possess and how to use them, and what we could do to create several different outcomes. I told them the stories I know about what Kurnai was like before he left the angels and they agreed that it was better not to kill him.

"We would leave the jewel and combine our powers in an effort against Kurnai that was sure to succeed. Upon hitting him, the blast of energy would not kill him, but simply separate his good and evil into two separate beings for a few moments. During that time, we would seal the darkness into the jewel and I would purify it, therefore destroying the threat Kurnai held over the world."

"And it worked?"

"Well, obviously. Kikyo and Midoriko vanished, Kurnai is no longer evil, he healed Sango, and the jewel is finally gone. All's well that ends well, right?"

"But it's not over yet."

"What'd'ya mean?"

"Well, Kurnai's gone, but not everything's been pieced together yet."

I sigh in relief.

"What was that for?"

"For a second, I thought you were gonna be all corny and say our love story's just beginning, or something else corny like that."

"Hey Kagome?"

"Yeah?"

"What's core-ney?"

"Never mind. Inuyasha, you can be so clueless sometimes." I laughed at the pout I received from him. "Ne, Inuyasha…?"

"Hmmm?"

"Look where we are."

He looks around for a second and finally notices Goshinboku. We smile at each other.

"Regardless, it seems everything is finally going to turn out okay, huh?"

I reach up and kiss him quickly, and as I pull away I whisper to him.

"It sure will."

A/N:

Well, yet another chapter comes to a close. Don't worry, there's still more, and it's all planned out! Oh, and with the most adorable ending…I'm getting mental images already::squee!:: Anyways, I'm done for tonight. I'll talk to you all soon! Please review! **:D**

**Translations:**

Most of these only appeared in the A/N at the beginning, but I should include them anyway as I know I've included a lot more Japanese than I usually do into my a/n.

Gomen Nasai-

I'm very sorry

Minna-san-

Everyone

Onegai-

Please

Ne-

"_Ne_, Inuyasha?"- "_Hey_, Inuyasha?"

"…been a while since I updated, _ne_?"- "…been a while since I updated, _right_?"


	39. Chapter 37: Yume no Tsubasa

A/N: Well, here you go! I'm updating yet again with the second-to-last chapter! This one is mostly a filler, as I simply needed a set-up chapter for the big ending, so please excuse the shortness and sloppiness. I tried to make it good, but it was very roughly and quickly thrown together.

I would like to thank **sno-man80** and **BlackSuicideAngel**for the wonderful reviews. I'm so happy that you two have stuck with the story for all this time, so yet again, thank you!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha, but you all know that already. I also don't own the song **"Yume no Tsubasa"** which is sung by **FictionJunction KAORI **for the anime Tsubasa RESERVoir Chronicle.

_**even in the night I see your face, in the dark**_

_**so I never lose my way to you**_

_**I never close my heart**_

_**the light is always there**_

_**time goes by, we can never stay the same**_

_**now we've come so far from love memory**_

_**though your smile has gone, we will never be apart**_

_**in our hearts we are one, for love melody**_

_**the future arrives with your love**_

_**willing to go to the place**_

_**where you never need to cry**_

_**I'll take you there**_

_**willing to find an answer**_

_**in all the winding road we have come through**_

_**in the heat of summer, cold of winter, I'm here**_

_**so you never lose your way to me**_

_**never close your heart**_

_**your light is always here**_

_**time goes by, we can never stay the same**_

_**in the shades of hope, in love memory**_

_**though your smile has gone, we will never be apart**_

_**in our hearts we can hear the love melody**_

_**the future still shines, close to you**_

Forget-Me-Not

Chapter 37

I wonder how long it's been since I've been home? It seems like a lifetime. Maybe the many years we followed Naraku? Or the months at a time I'd stay here without returning back then. That's what it felt like, anyway. An eternity. In reality, it was probably only a couple weeks since I'd attempted to cross over, only to find myself in a godforsaken wasteland. But now, San says that the pathway should be fixed. I can go back home again. Ayumi, Yuka, Eri, Sango, and I…we can all go home. She also said that I could bring anyone over, for the time being. Her thanks, I suppose. But I know it's only temporary. Soon, I'll have to decide for myself where I'm going to stay.

Nevertheless…it's time to go home.

88888888

In The Future…

88888888

I smirk as I pull the last person, Miroku, from the bottom of the well. I never thought I would ever be able to show them all the "future". Their expressions though, were quite humorous.

Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri, first of all, were pouting. They'd put up quite a fuss about coming back, but finally Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Rin were able to each force a hyper girl into the well. I assured them they could always return if they wanted to, but I know they won't. When we return this time, it'll probably be forever. They won't want to give up their lives here, which is probably for the better.

Inuyasha is scoffing at the familiar scent of pollution while laughing at Sesshomaru and Rin who have just discovered the stench. Sango and Miroku are pulling their four kids over to look at the house. Tsuyoi was just…blank. But all in all, the awed expressions of my closest friends made me laugh.

They all stopped and starred at me.

"What? You just look so funny, standing there as though I haven't told you anything about my time."

They just shrug and go back to marveling at the sights of the future. Inuyasha, however, is mustering up his most pathetic puppy face (not that it's working, mind you).

I sigh. "What do you want?"

"Ninja food, Kagome?"

I laugh again. "Alright, alright, we'll get ramen, but first, you all need some modern clothes." I lead them all into the house, and Sango goes running off towards her room with Tame in a tow.

I look at Sango. "Should we be worried?"

Miroku pops up in between us. "They're only six, Kagome. What's the worst they could do? Get into a tickle fight?"

"Well, Miroku, he is your son after all…"

He laughs. "True, true…"

I show them each to rooms after I grab some random clothes from my and Hojo's wardrobe. Inuyasha and Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri all know how to put them on, should anyone else need help. I usher the kids into Sango's room to grab some clothes for them and smile as I see Sango trying desperately to get Tame to try on one of her more girly outfits. "Sango, why don't you pick out some clothes for the rest of the kids too, and at least try to pick things they might wear, alright?"

"'Kay!"

I walk out and close the door. It's gonna be an interesting day, to say the least.

88888888

First stop, Ramen

88888888

While Inuyasha loves instant ramen, he's never been to a real ramen shop before…so I just had to take him to see his expression. As expected, it was quite humorous. I ordered something simple for all of them, and next thing I know, everyone's downing it in seconds and asking for more. I almost ran out of money just from the first stop!

From there, I decide just to show them around town. I showed them my old high school and the shops along the sides of the road. I explained what a car was (after Sesshomaru nearly attacked one for "hurting Rin". He and Inuyasha are so alike it's almost scary.) Every now and again we stopped for photo booths. This time, I explained what they were _before_ it went off (unlike a previous fiasco) and everyone had lots of fun dragging each other into pictures and making stupid faces.

Our day continues pretty much like that until about mid-afternoon. The point of me coming back here in the first place was to see mom, and so I figured I would take everyone to meet her.

When we arrived at the house, we didn't even have to knock. As soon as we stepped foot onto the walkway, a young man, around his late teens, came rushing out of the house. "INUYASHA!!!!!"

Inuyasha looked startled for a moment, and then it seemed to click. "Hey kid."

I laughed. "Souta, stop that! You're too old to go jumping on top of people without notice!"

"But sis…I haven't seen him in ten years, thanks to you! You could at least let me say hi!"

"Fine, say hi, but that's it! No random tackling! Besides, aren't you supposed to be playing some big soccer game somewhere?"

"Naw, I came home after mom told me about Inuyasha's return!"

I sighed. "Well everyone, this is my younger brother, Souta. He's a pain and a bit too hyperactive for his age, but you get used to it."

"Hey!"

After I introduced Souta to everyone, we all made our way inside to greet Mom. She just smiled. "Welcome home, Kagome. Why don't you and your friends come on in and we'll have some tea while we catch up a bit." I smiled. Fighting demons is cool and all, but it's good to be home.

88888888

Some Time Later

88888888

A couple hours later, we finally got Mom and Souta caught up with our story.

"Now, I only have one question…" Mom asked with an uncharacteristically serious face, "when's the wedding gonna be?"

"Wedding?"

"Of course, you and Inuyasha are getting married right away, I mean, you have to!"

"Mom!" I was definitely red by now. Me! Blushing! Ha! "We haven't exactly talked about that yet…"

"WHAT?! But Kagome it's fate you were so cute together way back then and even though you left the two of you were brought back together in the end and plus now that everyone's happy, you guys just have to get married!" Gasp! "It's just not a happily ever after if you don't! There you have it, I won't take no for an answer, so I ask you again, when's the wedding?"

And that's how Inuyasha and I wound up engaged.

88888888

A few minutes later, we were split up into guys and girls and in different rooms to discuss "wedding arrangements". Mom was already fussing over everything…it seems she's had my wedding dress picked out for me since I brought Inuyasha back to meet her again. It wasn't long before we'd completely discussed the meal plans, the size, the dresses, the bride's maids, and the flower girl. The only thing left to discuss is…

"Where is it going to be?"

"Well…I'd kinda like to get married over there…"

Mom pouted. "But Kagome, I want to go!"

"Mom, just how do you thing everyone else got here? San will let you come through the well, along with Souta, Grandpa, and anyone else from this side we'd like to invite."

Mom smiled. "And that settles it! It's time for a long-overdue wedding!"

"I suppose it is, Mom."

A/N: and there you have it. There's just one more chapter to go after this, guys! It probably won't be up this weekend, but it should be up sometime next week, okay? Thank you guys so much for your support!

And as an afterthought, I forgot to put a definitions bank for Japanese words at the bottom of the chapter, so I'm gonna go back and fix that right now.

Thank you all!

Love,

Midnight-Wolf-314


	40. Epilogue: Serenade

A/N: Wow, I bet you guys never thought this would come, huh? I apologize greatly for my lack of updating, but the final chapter is now here! I know in the previous chapters, I had said that there would be one more chapter before the Epilogue, but I really couldn't think of anything else to write. I hope what I've done here sums everything up to your liking. I do realize it's a bit different than the rest of the story, but I figure that the whole story, at this point, is completely different. Because of this, even though the story is complete chapter-wise, I'm still going to have this fic labeled under "In-Progress". Why? Because I have so much editing that I have to do, and I don't doubt that the story may change quite a bit from the horrible state it's in now. I won't change the plot or the progression of things, but I know I've been very repetitive and whatnot, so I want to fix that. And also, seeing as I started writing this on a whim over three years ago now, my writing style has changed quite a bit, as should be evident from this chapter.

Anyways, please be on the lookout for revised chapters, which should be coming soon. I am printing them out as I type, and unlike the unfinished chapters I've been trying to write, the revisions take no inspiration whatsoever. I can simply go through and correct everything with a red pen and then come fix it all and upload it for you.

And now for those very special people who reviewed last time!  
**colorguardbaby23  
WinelXl  
LoonyBin08  
sno-man80  
BlackSuicideAngel**

Thank you all so much!

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ I do not own Inuyasha. If I did, the story would be a complete mess, just like this one is (I'll fix it, I promise!) The opening song is called "Serenade" and is from Fruits Basket episode 18(?). This is the English version, and it's very pretty. The insert song is called "Good Company" and is my all-time favorite song from the Disney movie _Oliver & Company_.

_**Something delicate, special, like the love we know  
My fragile heart beats at times secure and times alone  
My first treasure took years to find  
It's what I cling to when confusion clouds my mind**_

_**When you come to me and you smile  
Suddenly I feel as if everything's okay  
Lost in your smile  
All at once I'm swept away  
When trouble falls upon me like rain  
When the world becomes what they call a lonely place  
**_

_**You carry me through  
From dreary skies the sun breaks through**_

_**When you're feeling lost and don't know what to do  
Just look and see me calling out to you  
And when you're shaking from winter wind upon your face  
I'll hurry towards you. I'll warm you up with an embrace**_

_**Baby you can count on me  
Always and forever, lost and right next to you  
Come with me  
I know it's worth to see it through  
Love can be a delicate thing  
True love has the power that's infinitely real  
Locking the heart  
With true emotions that you feel**_

Forget-Me-Not  
Epilogue

_During my lifetime, I've been to many weddings. In just the ten years since I left the feudal era, I had attended my own, as well as several for my close friends. And I mean, I do live at a shrine… _

_But I find that my second wedding (the one I have waited for all along) has been the most eventful. I won't recount the service, for, as much as I've seen, it was a pretty basic exchange of vows (Inuyasha write his own…? As if!) Ah no, what was crazy was the guests. _

_We held the ceremony in the feudal era, in the same spot my first wedding was held. We had Miroku do the service, despite the fact that he technically isn't a priest anymore. But at this point, I'll stop and say we really should have just done two services. We, of course, had all of our friends from our adventures with Naraku…even Koga came. All of the angels came, including Kurnai. I had Mom, Grandpa, and Souta there from my time, as well as Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi, not to mention my own daughter. And her new boyfriend (she's only six! I what is this world coming to, I wonder!?) And her boyfriend's siblings. Who just happen to be my best friend's kids. And Sesshomaru and Rin, of course. And just about everyone else Inuyasha and I had ever met in the area came as well. And what had originally began as a small, secluded wedding, turned into mass chaos and destruction. _

_It was all worth it, though. Mom took lots of pictures, and insisted that San keep the portal open long enough for her to print them out and give me a copy. And as hard as the decision had been, I decided it would be best to continue living in my new home, the feudal era. _

_Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri were all bawling by the time they had to leave. And maybe I was too. Just a little bit. Mom just smiled and hugged me tightly. "I always knew this was where you belonged," she said. And poor Souta was reduced to a sobbing mess at the well, and it took a long lecture from Inuyasha about "manliness" for him to stop his whining as say goodbye._

_And you know? For as sad as the goodbye was for me, I found that I had felt worse for leaving Inuyasha after Naraku's defeat. If all went well, I would see them all again in the future, and I told them so. _

"_I'll find a way, so be patient. We will meet again."_

_In all honesty, I figured I'd do what Rin did and become a demon (or a half demon, anyways…) so that I could have the same lifespan as Inuyasha. But I don't mind being hanyou. It might actually be kinda fun. _

_I do worry about Sango, though. I asked if she wanted to return to our time with Mom and the others, but she refused. I agreed to let her stay. I just hope that we'll always be able to keep her safe. I do wonder, though, what it will be like to watch my daughter grow old and die before my very eyes. And my best friends too. They can't all be immortal, and I know this. I wonder if I'll be able to live some five hundred years with just Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Rin. But I will try. But deep in my heart I know I'll be alright, as long as I have Inuyasha by my side. _

I am pulled out of my thoughts by a voice floating through the forest. I smile as I see my daughter coming towards me, humming a familiar tune I can't quite name. She spins a little with the song and begins to sing…

"_You and me, together, will be…"_

I laugh as she twirls a bit, and I realize something I seemed to have forgotten during this adventure—she's still just a young girl.

_"Forever, you'll see…"_

Some days she surprises me by acting wiser than her years. But in the end, she's still my six-year-old daughter, who has her whole life ahead of her.

"_We'll always be good company…"_

She's still naive to the pain of life, even after all of this.

"_You and me…"_

And even though life can be difficult and lonely…we'll take it one step at a time, and just keep living.

"_Just wait and see."_

She plops down next to me on the well's edge, and as she grins up at me, I realize…

It's time to live my life the way I've always wanted to—with the ones I love by my side every step of the way.

The End

A/N: It's over! Finally! I'm a little sad, but I'm more glad than anything. I know that was short, but it is an epilogue. I hope I wrapped everything up alright for you. As I said before, I will revise this immediately, and I should have the first couple chapters redone by tomorrow night. Please continue to follow the story as I make it better.

And right now, I must take a chance to thank everyone who needs to be thanked.

First and foremost, I need to thank every single last person who reviewed me, no matter what you said. I love all of you reviewers, and believe me, if this story hadn't been so popular, it would be in the trash right now. Thanks so much for helping me keep it alive. And I also thank those of you who are still with this story, even after all my laziness and forgetfulness, and through all of the confusion I've been throwing in plot-wise. You all have kept me going, so thank you!

I also must thank Jessie #3, one of my bestest buddies, for her input into the storyline. Without her…wow, I'd still be trying to figure out which angel should be what.

And thanks to Jordan as well, who has been my motivational speaker (so to say…) as far as this story goes. And through my lack of self confidence, we've had several long conversations in which I discovered several plot facets I never would have explored otherwise.

And a special thanks to Jessi #1, who requested that I name the wind angel Cooksey. I'll get her to read this story one of these days…

And to Kristen, who first got me hooked on Inuyasha.

And to Mom for taking away my internet so I had no choice but to write the first ten chapters of this out of boredom.

And to Koji, Diamond, Tamaki, and all my other stuffed animals that have worked as my muses over these past three years.

And to Rumiko Takahashi for creating such a brilliant story.

And, of course, to Kagome, whose mind I stole for this fic.

Thank you all, so very much! :deep bow:

I hope you will continue to keep with this fic as I edit through it, and continue to review with your opinions on how I'm doing. I know it's all a big mess right now, but it'll come together, I promise!

Please continue supporting me as I continue on towards my goal of finishing this huge mess.

And a very special thanks to everyone who is reading this right now. You all are the best!

I'll be talking to you all soon!

Love  
MidnightWolf314


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